Wings of Freedom
by Vampire-Alma
Summary: Amy Penrose has just joined the Survey Corps. Journey with her as she discovers the strength within herself and how she deals with her growing attraction to her Commanding Officer, Lance Corporal Levi. Many dangers and difficult choices lay ahead. Some of the others may just want to survive, but Amy wants to prove to herself and the world that they can win. Levi Rivaille/OC.
1. Chapter 1

It was 'lights out'. Captain Levi wanted everyone in bed by dark with the exception of those on guard duty. Amy lay on her bunk, staring up at the ceiling. Her arms were crooked with her hands behind her head. Since it was bedtime, her hair was down from the bun she usually kept it in. The wavy black strands were slightly spread out behind her.

A quiet sigh escaped her. It was her first night at the castle outpost where the Survey Corps were posted. She still couldn't believe she'd joined them. It felt like a bizarre dream, one where she was watching her life but she wasn't in control of her actions. It had been her goal to join the Survey Corps when she first became a recruit, but after actually facing the titans her resolve had been shaken to the core. The speech that Commander Erwin had given to them hadn't been very encouraging either. It had been rather terrifying, in fact. But something had kept her feet stuck fast to the ground as the others around her walked away. She still wasn't sure what exactly that something was.

A faint stream of moonlight cut through the darkness of the room, giving her just enough light to see blurred shapes. There were two bunks in the room pushed up against opposite walls. Her roommate, Sasha Braus, was a barely distinguishable blob on the other bed. The other girl had spent the night crying and it had made Amy uncomfortable. Not because she thought less of the other girl in any way, but because it made her want to cry too. Eventually, though, Sasha had drifted off to sleep, and now she was quietly snoring. The window in their little room was open to let in the cool, night breeze. But even with that it was uncomfortably warm.

Amy had stripped down to a loose, gray tank top and her plain black panties to sleep in. The girls had all showered together back at the recruits training campus, so she wasn't worried about her modesty around her roommate.

Amy knew she should be sleeping, they would be busy all day tomorrow going over the plans for the mission and doing drills, but her mind just wouldn't let her rest. Despite her very real fears about death, she couldn't help but be excited to be there. Captain Levi had been everything she was expecting, and more. Even though he was shorter than most men, he had a very intimidating and commanding personality. Her admiration had started when she had first thought of joining, and had bloomed into feelings she was sure she shouldn't have for her commanding officer.

He made her feel things she'd never experienced before. It had really hit her earlier that day, when they had officially met him, how much of an effect he had on her. They had just received their uniforms, which were just green cloaks with the Survey Corps wings stitched on the back. He had called out, ordering them to line up and stand at attention. Amy had scrambled with the rest of them to comply with butterflies in her stomach. She was third from the end by the time they had straightened out. Captain Levi stood before them, his eyes scanning each of their faces.

He seemed even more annoyed than usual with how long it had taken them to follow his order and Amy couldn't help blushing as his eyes paused on her. She knew she stood out compared to her fellow graduates. Amy was only five feet tall, and although height didn't make you any worse at killing titans, Captain Levi himself was proof of that, she still couldn't help feeling self-conscious about it. Her blush intensified as he studied her a moment longer before he moved on.

It had been a very mortifying moment. Her embarrassment had been intense. The fact that she knew her face was red only served to embarrass her more, which made her blush more. She was sure by the time he was through studying them and talking that she was red as a tomato. He had glanced at her several times while he'd been speaking to them and she hoped he just thought she was suffering from the heat.

After he'd dismissed them, she'd wasted no time in getting inside and claiming a room. Captain Levi had told them they would be taking the rooms on the first floor that had essentially been the servants quarters. They could choose whichever room they wanted out of those so long as they put up their names on the doors. That way people would not only know that room was claimed, but so he could find them if he needed them for anything. Amy had been happy with her room choice, since she had wanted a room with a window in it. Sasha had simply walked in and placed her things on the other bunk and Amy said nothing about it. She didn't mind sharing the room.

Amy liked Sasha well enough. She was friendly, though a bit formal, and usually had a stash of food. Amy had been hungry enough times in her life to know how to appreciate a slice of bread, or a half of a baked potato.

Amy shifted, rubbing her face tiredly before rolling onto her side. She closed her eyes firmly, determined to try and get some sleep. She wasn't sure how much time had passed before she finally drifted into oblivion. It felt like her eyes had only been closed for a few minutes when she was abruptly pulled from her dreams. Amy was disoriented when she first opened her tired eyes. Sasha sat across from her on her bunk with her uniform already on. She was in the process of pulling on her other boot, but had paused in the middle of the action. Amy realized she was staring at the door and she looked rather nervous.

Still feeling groggy and confused, Amy rolled over enough to look at the door and froze. Her heart felt like it stopped for a beat before resuming at a much faster pace. Standing in the frame of their doorway, was Captain Levi himself. He was staring down at her with a blank expression and Amy blushed madly while scrambling out of bed. Her movement seemed to jolt Sasha from her stupor also, because she stood at the same time Amy did and they both saluted him.

His expression didn't change and Amy could feel the skin of her cheeks and neck flushing red. There she was in her tank top and panties in front of her Commanding Officer, the man she harbored a secret crush on. She wished the floor of the room would open up and swallow her right then. His gaze slid over to Sasha and Amy saw the other girl stiffen.

"You're dismissed, Braus. Go to the mess hall with the others." He ordered quietly before stepping to the side to let her out. Sasha nodded before hurrying out of the room, the laces of her untied boot trailing behind her. Amy stood still and nervous butterflies erupted in her stomach as Captain Levi shut the door behind Sasha, trapping her alone in the room with him.

He turned and leaned back against the door, crossing his arms. He looked distinctly annoyed. "Penrose," he spoke her last name firmly. "I distinctly remember telling everyone to meet at dawn in the mess hall for morning announcements. You and your roommate were the only ones not present. I do not tolerate tardiness. Cadet Braus was at least ready to go, and she will be informed of her punishment later. You, however, were not even awake." His expression turned dark, much to Amy's growing horror. "You have disrespected me by disobeying an order and everyone else by wasting their time. If you cannot follow orders then perhaps I should just send you back to the Garrison. I have no use for someone who can't follow even the simplest of orders."

His words lanced through Amy's heart and shocked her into a stunned silence; all the blood drained from her face. She felt like she was on the verge of a panic attack as he stood there glaring at her, obviously waiting for a response. Her throat constricted with emotion, but she somehow managed to push past it to speak. She dipped into a low bow, her eyes squeezed closed to stop the tears threatening to fall. "Please, Captain. I swear it won't happen again. Just please, please don't send me away."

The silence stretched on and Amy stayed bowed over, trembling. Levi moved forward, the sound of his booted steps echoing slightly on the masonry floor. Amy still didn't move or even open her eyes. She was terrified that he was going to make her leave. She'd never be able to live with the shame of that. It startled her when she felt his rough fingers brush against her chin. He gripped it firmly, though he was surprisingly gentle, and lifted her to face him. His expression hadn't really changed, but somehow she could tell he wasn't angry anymore.

"You have ten minutes to get dressed and get to the mess hall." He started, his tone soft but commanding. "After announcements, you and Cadet Braus will report to me. Do I make myself clear?"

The relief that flooded through her body was so intense she thought she might pass out. "Y-yes, sir." She managed to whisper. Now that the threat of expulsion was no longer immediate, she became distinctly aware of how close he was, of the feeling of his fingers on her chin. The blush that had deserted her earlier slowly began to spread over her cheeks again. He stood watching her a moment longer before he dropped his hand and turned to leave.

"Ten minutes, cadet." He reminded her as the door was closing behind him. As soon as it snapped shut, Amy began to frantically pull on her clothes. She was ready and out the door within five minutes and it only took another minute for her to make it to the mess hall.

To her embarrassment, everyone turned to look at her when she arrived. With her head down, she quickly retrieved her breakfast and sat down at the far table where there were only three others; Sasha, Armin, and Mikasa. She thought the other two would have been with Eren, but when she looked she didn't see him anywhere in the room. Announcements started while she was quietly eating, and soon after everyone was dismissed. Amy reached out to grab Sasha before she could leave.

"We're supposed to report to Captain Levi." She quickly explained. Sasha swallowed loudly before turning towards the table where Levi was still sitting. Amy looked over as well and discovered that he was already watching them. Amy took a deep breath to steel her resolve before leading the way over to him. She could hear Sasha muttering as she followed, but it was too low to make out what exactly the girl was rambling about. She grew quiet as the paused in front of the Captain's table.

"I've thought about how exactly to punish the two of you for your insubordination." He paused, and Amy resisted the urge to shift around nervously. "Braus, you will be on stable cleaning duty for the rest of the week." She groaned. "You will clean the stables daily with no help. If I find out anyone has helped you I will double the length of your term and the one helping you will be similarly punished."

Sasha let out a whimper but eventually saluted. "Yes, sir." She said, obviously not happy about it, but knowing better than to argue. He nodded, "Good, then you are dismissed." Sasha quickly turned and left to join the others in the court-yard. They were still busy cleaning the castle up. With the extra hands from the new recruits it would go faster, but there was still a lot left to do.

Levi turned his attention to Amy, who stood waiting patiently for whatever punishment he decreed. "Penrose, for the rest of the week you will be on laundry duty. You, also, will receive no help. In addition, every day at exactly seven p.m. you will go outside and run five laps around the perimeter of the castle. Trust me when I say I will find out if you shirk out on your duties."

Amy nodded, surprised and relieved at how lenient her punishment actually was. Laundry duty was tedious, and running laps was exhausting, but overall it wasn't that big a deal. "Yes, sir." She said, saluting him. He said she was dismissed then, before he stood and walked away. Amy smiled at his retreating back before heading out to join the others in the courtyard. She spent the next few hours pulling weeds and helping trim the yard. When she was done with that, she headed to the washroom and began laundry. With everyone cleaning, there was plenty of laundry to do and she knew she'd be stuck there for the rest of the day.

Her arms were sore by the time lunch was served, and when she was finished eating she had to go back and do more laundry. By the time dinner was served, her hands felt raw and she could barely grip her spoon. When it was close to seven, she stopped and headed outside to do her laps. Her back hurt, her arms felt numb and her fingers tingled painfully.

She ran, and ran. The steady thump of her boots hitting the ground helped her concentrate. It was growing dark as the sun set when she finished. She was panting heavily, and sweating profusely. She leaned forward and hissed as the rough fabric of her pants rubbed against her raw hands. God, she hurt all over. It was a few minutes before she caught her breath. She headed towards the showers, wincing with each step. Her shower was short, but sweet. The cool water washed over her and she felt better after scrubbing away the dirt and sweat from the day.

Feeling slightly refreshed, but still exhausted, Amy returned to her room for the night. Sasha was already there getting ready for bed. She jumped slightly when Amy walked in but she quickly relaxed. "I'm sorry that I didn't wake you up this morning," Sasha said quietly. "I was already panicking because we were late and all I thought about was that we might miss breakfast. I didn't mean to get you in trouble."

Amy smiled at her and shook her head. "Don't worry about it." She replied while untying and pulling her boots off. "I don't blame you at all." Sasha smiled and looked relieved. The girls finished getting ready for bed and this time Amy made sure to set the small alarm clock on the bedside table they shared. It didn't take Amy long to fall asleep that night.


	2. Chapter 2

I finished up this chapter last night and couldn't wait a week to post it. Hope you guys enjoy it!

Also, thank you to Kage Kurai, and lovelyanimeangel for your reviews!

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The rest of the week passed much to slowly for Amy. The first few days were some of the most miserable days of her life. Her extra chores and then running in the evening always left her dead tired by bedtime. On top of all that, she still had to do drills with the others, go out on patrol, and learn different tactics and strategies for combating the titans. The different formations they were learning weren't that difficult, but if you weren't paying attention it could result in death.

Towards the end of the week, Amy was getting more used to the physical exercise. A few times she had spotted Captain Levi watching her, and she figured he had come out to make sure she was still running in the evenings like he'd said. He never stayed long and she was grateful for that. It was unnerving being watched by him like that. She couldn't help feeling self-conscious about being dirty and sweaty at the end of the day in front of him. Everyone knew Captain Levi was a clean freak and she was sure he was disgusted by her filthy appearance.

On the last day, she realized that she was starting to enjoy running in the evenings. It no longer left her tired and gasping for breath. She was relaxing in a warm bath when she realized how much her punishment was actually helping her. She was building up endurance and strength with the extra exercise. A smile spread across her lips and she resolved then to keep running in the evenings. She reached over the edge of the wooden tub to grab the bar of soap. It was scented with rose petals, and she enjoyed the relaxing smell as she scrubbed her skin clean. The water was starting to lose its warmth, so she finished up and climbed out, wrapping a towel around herself.

Amy was halfway dressed when she heard someone coming down the hallway. Worried it might be one of the male members of the Legion, she quickly grabbed her shirt and pulled it on. Her still wet hair quickly began to soak through the white undershirt. She let out a relieved breath when Petra rounding the corner. The other woman smiled at her in a friendly manner. "Oh, I saw the light and thought maybe someone had left the candles burning. I didn't know anyone was here." She quickly explained.

Amy smiled back. She had met Petra on her first day at the castle, and she seemed like a really nice person. They hadn't really had the chance to interact after that though. Amy had been too busy with all her other duties. "It's okay," Amy said with a light laugh. "I was worried it might have been one of the guys." Amy grabbed her towel and quickly started trying to dry her hair. "The only time I have to bathe is right before bedtime, so this is usually when I'm here."

Petra nodded and turned back towards the door. "Alright, I'll leave you to it then. Just be sure to put out the candles before you head back to your room, okay?" She paused just outside the door, waiting for an answer. "Yes, of course." Amy answered. Petra disappeared and Amy finished drying off and grabbed her things to leave. She made sure to put out all the candles before walking out the door. Her over-shirt and jacket were slung over her arm. It was too warm out to put them back on. Her breast bindings were folded up and were under her jacket. She usually didn't bind her breasts unless they were going to be working with the 3DMG or going out on a mission. Amy wasn't really embarrassed by their size, she felt they were proportionate to the rest of her body. Since she was a rather small person, it only made sense that she had small breasts.

Amy hadn't brought a candle with her and the sun had already set. There was barely enough light to see by with the crescent moon. She gazed up at the night sky, admiring the stars as she walked through the courtyard back to the main building. There was a light breeze out that made the night pleasant. Amy paused and closed her eyes, enjoying the feeling of the wind caressing her bare skin. They didn't get many chances to just relax and enjoy being alive. She opened her eyes to see someone looming over her and let out a startled yelp. The person chuckled and she quickly realized it was Reiner.

Embarrassed, she glared up at him, but the effect was probably lost in the dim light. She could barely make out the amused grin on his face. "Reiner, what the hell? Are you trying to give me a heart attack?" She admonished him. How the hell had he even snuck up on her? There was a flicker of movement and light suddenly flared up. Amy squinted at the sudden glare of the candle Reiner had lit. "Sorry," he said, moving the candle off to the side. "I saw you through the window and thought you might like some light. I didn't mean to startle you though." He rubbed the back of his neck and gave her a sheepish smile.

Amy smiled back and shook her head in mild exasperation. "It's okay," she started. "But why didn't you light the candle before coming out? Then I would have seen you and you wouldn't have scared me." She asked him. He chuckled softly again before answering, "Well, the candle was lit, but when I stepped outside the wind caught it and blew it out. I tried to light it again when I was walking over but I couldn't get it to catch."

Amy laughed too, and they both moved towards the doors. "I guess it's a good thing you finally got it lit up, otherwise you would have come out for no reason." Reiner looked down at her and smiled. "I still would have gotten to walk with you, so it wouldn't have been a total waste." He replied and Amy blushed. Amy wasn't sure how to respond so she just smiled. Reiner didn't like her, did he? She couldn't help but wonder after that comment. She peered up at him through her eye lashes from the corner of her eye. She realized he was walking close next to her, but it couldn't mean anything. She was sure he was just being nice.

Neither of them noticed the figure standing in one of the second story windows, watching them. They entered the old castle, closing the large doors as quietly as they could manage. All of the rooms were in the same area, so Reiner continued to walk with her until they made it to her room. Amy turned to him and gave him a smile. "Thank you for walking with me, Reiner." She told him. He nodded back at her and Amy missed the faint blush on his cheeks. "No problem, Amy. I'll see you at breakfast tomorrow. Goodnight." He said quietly before stepping back. "'Night, Reiner." She replied, equally as quiet, before disappearing into her room. Reiner continued to stand in the hallway for a moment before he left for his own room.

Amy watched the light fade from the bottom of the door and let out the breath she didn't realize she'd been holding. The room was dark and she could hear the faint breathing of her roommate. As quietly as she could, Amy moved over and opened the window. The cool breeze from outside flowed into the stifling heat of the room and gave her enough light to see without having to light the candle on the nightstand. With a tired sigh, she tossed the bundle of clothes from her arm onto the small chest at the foot of her bed. She then moved to sit on the edge of her bed and pulled her boots off. They were set neatly at the foot of the bed, near the chest that was full of her clothes.

She was in the process of untying her pants when she noticed light under the edge of the door again. It was steadily growing brighter. Whoever was in possession of the candle stopped outside their door and Amy sighed as they lightly knocked. She assumed it was Reiner again. Maybe he'd forgotten to tell her something earlier. Not bothering to re-tie the drawstring of her pants, Amy moved to the door and cracked it open. "What is it, Reiner? I thought-", she stopped mid sentence when she realized it was not Reiner on the other side of her door.

Amy opened the door wider without really thinking. A blush spread across her cheeks as Levi's eyes trailed down her body, taking in her state of undress. "C-Captain?" She stuttered, suddenly wide awake. His gray eyes snapped back up to her face, and although his expression was his usual mask of indifference, she felt he was angry. She flinched when he reached out and gripped her arm, dragging her into the hallway. He shut the door to her room before facing her.

"What were you and Braun doing out after dark?" He asked quietly. Amy was stunned by the question. "Everyone is to be in their rooms by sundown except those on guard duty. I said that the first day everyone arrived." He continued, his eyes narrowing as he stared at her. "Do you enjoy disobeying me?"

Amy's eyes widened at that and she quickly shook her head. She didn't understand where this was coming from. She had stayed out past dark almost every night since he'd ordered her to run laps, since she could only bathe after she was finished. Levi had seen her outside before and had never said anything about it. So what was different about tonight? He took a step towards her and she instinctively stepped back. A small gasp escaped her as her back hit the wall behind her. Levi stepped forward again and Amy blushed at how close he was. Only a few inches separated them. She looked up at him, searching his face, but like usual she couldn't tell what he was thinking.  
She was afraid he would decide she wasn't worth the trouble and send her away. Amy was ready to beg if she had to, if only he would let her stay. She jumped when he lifted his left hand and pressed it against the wall beside her head. His other hand still held the small candle he'd brought with him. "Why haven't you answered me, Penrose?" He asked, leaning closer to her. "What were you doing with Braun?"

Amy took a shaky breath and looked down, unable to hold his piercing gaze. "I was walking to my room, from the showers. I didn't have any light with me and Reiner saw. He came out with a candle to give me some light. He walked me to my room and then left. That was it." Levi leaned back just a bit. Amy chanced a glance up at him and realized he was gazing down the hallway. "What was Braun doing out of his room in the first place?" Levi asked as he turned back to look at her again. Levi knew he wasn't assigned to guard duty tonight, so he didn't have a reason to be out.

Amy shook her head. "I don't know, sir. I didn't ask him." Levi sighed and closed his eyes, his eyebrows furrowed together as he dipped his head slightly. She didn't know if he was conscious of it or not, but he leaned towards her again. If she turned her head slightly, her nose would brush against his bangs. Amy had to admit she was tempted, but she was afraid of how he might react right now. He didn't seem to be in the best mood. She smiled slightly as she thought about it. Captain Levi never seemed to be in the best mood. Amy was so caught up in her thoughts, she didn't realize he had looked up and was watching her again.

"What are you smiling at, Penrose?" He asked, his voice barely above a whisper. Amy blushed at being caught. "I-I…" Her blush intensified. How could she possibly tell him that he was the reason she was smiling? He leaned closer, staring her down, until his nose was almost touching her's. "Well?" He demanded.

"Y-you, sir." Amy blurted out. She closed her eyes; her blush felt like it would be permanently burned into her cheeks. She could feel his warm breath fanning out against her lips. She didn't know why, maybe it was because her eyes were closed, but she was suddenly hyper aware of his body. She could feel the faint heat from him and she knew he had shifted closer, despite the fact that the movement had been completely silent. She was so nervous, her whole body was slightly trembling. Her throat felt dry and her tongue darted out to wet her lips.

Amy felt his body tense then, mostly because he had suddenly pressed himself completely against her. Her eyes snapped open and she gasped. Before she could say anything though, he was kissing her. His lips were firm and warm, and she realized his eyes were closed now. Slowly, she relaxed against him, her eyes sliding closed again. Tentatively, she placed her hands against his chest and kissed him back.

She wasn't sure how long the kiss lasted. Minutes, seconds. All she knew at that moment was the feel of him, and the heat that was spreading through her body. His left hand moved and he curled his fingers around the back of her neck, his thumb lightly tracing the edge of her jaw as he pulled her closer. His touch sent small jolts of desire flaring through her body and she moaned softly against his lips. If she had been more aware of herself, she might have felt embarrassed by her reaction, but her mind was clouded by desire.

Levi pulled away slightly, just enough to gaze down at her with their lips still lightly touching. Amy was breathing a bit harder, like she'd just finished her evening run, and her face was still flushed. He slid his lips slowly along hers, over to her cheek and then to her ear. He paused there and Amy shivered as his warm, moist breath tickled her. "Get to bed, Amy, before I change my mind about punishing you."

His words snapped her out of her daze. He stepped away from her and moved aside. Amy blinked at the sudden loss of contact, but quickly pushed herself away from the wall. Her hazel eyes were filled with a mixture of confusion and desire as she looked at him. Levi stared back at her impassively, like nothing at all unusual had just occurred. She stepped past him and he made no move to stop her as she disappeared into her room. The door clicked shut softly behind her and he heard the faint creak of her bed as she laid down.

Amy watched once again as the light shinning under the door faded away. This time her emotions were a muddled mess. Her lips were still tingling from his kiss and she felt strangely cold without the warmth of his body pressed against her. She was happy, scared, lustful, and horrified all at the same time. Amy had never felt more confused. Sure, she had fantasized about Levi before. Thought about kissing him, touching him and being touched in return. But before it had just been a girlish, forbidden fantasy. Now though, it was all too real. Amy didn't know what to do. She had never been in a relationship before. That had been the first time she'd ever even been kissed.

She rolled onto her back and lightly touched her lips as she stared up at the ceiling. She hoped things wouldn't be weird tomorrow, but she somehow knew that Captain Levi would treat her the same as always. His reaction afterwards was one of the things she was confused about. He hadn't seemed effected at all by it, and she couldn't help worrying that maybe she did something wrong.

Amy sighed and resigned herself to a fitful night of sleep. She checked the alarm clock to make sure it was on before settling under the covers. The sound of the crickets outside, and her roommates light snoring eventually lulled her to sleep, where she dreamed of piercing gray eyes and firm, warm lips.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: So, here's the third chapter. I just wanted to let you guys know, I'm not much of a manga reader, so most of this is based after the anime. I hope you guys enjoy it. I'm not going to beg for/demand reviews like some other authors on this site, but I do enjoy getting them. I would like to know what you think of the storyline. Anyways, on with the story!

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Besides getting to bed a little later than usual, Amy slept well through the night. She woke up feeling refreshed when the alarm went off. Amy had already decided to act as if nothing had happened last night. There was no way she could ever forget it, but she knew she couldn't let it affect her outward performance. She and Sasha both got ready for the day ahead and then walked to breakfast together. The sun was just beginning to rise when they entered the dinning hall. Only a few others were already there, with more people drifting into the room in various states of wakefulness.

Amy wasn't surprised when Reiner joined her and Sasha at their table. "Good morning", he greeted them with a friendly smile. Following closely behind him was Bertholdt, Ymir and Christa. Amy smiled and greeted everyone as they sat and ate. Sasha did as well, though her words were muffled by the food in her mouth. Everyone was used to Sasha's antics by then, so no one paid it any mind.

"You're going out on patrol today, aren't you, Amy?" Christa asked in her usual shy manner. The others at the table paused to look over at Amy, waiting for her to answer. Amy nodded her head, "Yes, myself, Connie, and Jean will be heading out and Petra will be leading the patrol." Patrol duty was one of the most dangerous responsibilities they currently had. Since Commander Erwin was still teaching everyone and preparing things for the expedition that was coming up, they hadn't been going out scouting like usual. All their power and focus was on attempting to reclaim Wall Maria.

The only other duty that surpassed patrolling in danger, was guarding the caravans of supplies that were being brought out from Wall Rose. The caravans were slow and cumbersome, but it was necessary to protect them at all costs. Without the supply train, they wouldn't be able to make it to Wall Maria and their goal of retaking the Wall would be unattainable.

A few of them gave her concerned looks, but no one said anything about it. They all knew the Survey Corps was the most dangerous, high risk branch of the military. Accepting the possibility of death was something they had all done the day they decided to join. The rest of breakfast was finished in relative silence. Amy stood and walked into the kitchen area and placed her used dishes with the others.

When she turned to leave she almost bumped into someone who was standing right behind her. "Oh, sorry." She said, looking up to see Reiner gazing down at her. He quickly placed his own dishes down before turning to her. "Hey," he called quietly. He placed his hand on her shoulder and stepped closer to her. Amy couldn't stop herself from blushing at his close proximity. Reiner opened his mouth to say something, but no sound came out. He closed it again and he looked a bit nervous, which was strange. Amy had never seen him look so worried. Reiner looked into her eyes and it seemed like he had steeled himself. "Just be careful out there today, Amy." He told her before pulling her into a brief hug.

Amy's eyes widened in surprise, but before she could react he had already pulled away. He smiled at her before turning and walking out of the kitchen. Amy stood rooted to the spot for a few minutes, thinking about Reiner and the sudden interest he seemed to have developed for her. It could still just be friendly concern. Everyone in their squad thought of him as the big brother of the group. But Amy couldn't remember him ever hugging anyone before. Reiner was tall and handsome, but he didn't stir the same feelings within her like Levi did. She blushed as she remembered that burning heat Levi's touch had spread through her body. Amy shook her head; now was not the time to be distracted by such thoughts. She needed to head out to the stables and meet up with Petra and the others.

Amy smiled as she stepped outside. Thick, dark gray storm clouds were spreading across the morning sky from the east. Ever since learning about the Titans' dependency on sunlight, Amy had come to appreciate a cloudy day. She hoped that enough cloud coverage would have the same effect on the titans that putting them in covered tents had. It hadn't taken much encouragement for Hanji to talk about the results from her experiments. Her obsession with the titans was intense, almost to the point of being frightening. It hadn't escaped her notice that as soon as Sasha had asked the scientist about her experiments, Levi and the rest of his squad, including Eren, had quickly vacated the room. It didn't take long for Amy to understand why. Hanji would have kept them there the rest of the night if Captain Levi hadn't taken pity on them and returned to order everyone to bed.

Hanji had promised to finish their discussion as they all quickly filed out of the room. No one had dared to look back and make eye contact with her, afraid of being singled out for further long conversations. Hanji hadn't been back to the castle since that day. They had learned later that she had come with a request to capture more titans, since the ones she had named Sonny and Bean had been destroyed. For the most part, Hanji stayed with the other teams of scientists within Wall Rose.

Amy made it over to the stables and found everyone already there. Petra and Connie both smiled at her as she approached. Jean looked lost in thought as he tightened the straps on his saddle. A pretty, light gray mare was already waiting tied to a post for her, though she still had to saddle and bridle it herself. Connie, who had already finished saddling his horse, walked over to help her. She smiled gratefully at him as he helped lift the saddle. She didn't really need the help, but it was always nice to have someone care enough to try. "Thank you, Connie." Amy said as they settled it onto the horses back. He grinned back at her. "No problem", he replied.

She finished up and they all mounted their horses. Petra turned to face everyone. "Alright. We're going out a few miles and circling around to check the outer perimeter of the castle. Our saddle bags have food and water for the day, since we most likely won't make it back until close to dinner. We'll have to eat lunch in the saddle. Keep your senses on high alert. If you notice anything, be sure to use your signal whistle to alert everyone. Remember, if we do run into a titan, we must lead it into the forest. It's where we have the most advantage, since it allows the use of our maneuver gear. If we come across more than two titans, we are to make a full retreat and inform Captain Levi of the situation." The small squad under her command all nodded their understanding. Their faces were serious and focused. "Alright, then. Move out." Petra ordered, whirling her horse around. They followed her lead, galloping after her.

They rode at a full gallop for nearly an hour. The horses were all bred for running, so they were used to the intense pace. Eventually though, Petra slowed them down to a trot. They reached the limits of the perimeter that Commander Erwin had laid out, and turned to being their circuit. The route had been marked with stakes hammered into the ground. The tops of them had been painted orange, to make them easily visible. The paint had faded a bit, but not enough to make them any less obvious. They would have to come out and repaint them eventually.

Everyone was tense as they moved along. No one spoke, and all their attention was focused on the terrain around them. They were currently following the outskirts of the forest. Rolling hills were sprawled out to their right; a shimmering river could be seen in the distance cutting through the land. Colorful birds were flying and singing, and twice Amy saw a little brown rabbit dart through the lush green grass. It was so beautiful and peaceful, even with the storm clouds overhead, it was hard to believe that a titan could be roaming the area.

They slowed their pace to a walk. There was no point in tiring out the horses when they might need to run away. So far, they had seen no evidence of titan activity. No footprints, no broken branches or tramped bushes, nothing. But Amy couldn't shake the horrible feeling that had settled in her stomach. It felt like they were being watched, but no matter where Amy looked, she couldn't see anything other than the trees and fields of grass. Hours passed in the relative silence. They continued walking until the sun hit its peak in the sky; they could just barely make out the burning orb through the clouds. Almost simultaneously, they pulled out their lunch. A half a loaf of bread, and a few apples each. Amy put one of her apples aside, keeping it to give to her horse later. She was sure the mare would appreciate the treat.

Amy paused, her apple halfway to her mouth. Something was wrong, she could just feel it. It was too quiet. All the birds had fallen silent. A few of the horses snorted, their ears flicking back and forth. She looked around cautiously, but once again everything seemed to be safe. Her hazel eyes trailed over her squad mates, taking in their almost relaxed postures. Whatever it was, they hadn't seemed to notice. With a sigh, Amy put her food away. She was too worked up and nervous to eat. Each step forward her horse took, Amy grew more anxious. Her mare, which she had decided to name Piper, suddenly flinched and lunged to the right. That may have been the only thing that saved Amy's life in that instant. The ground where she had been walking erupted as a huge hand slammed into the earth. The seven-meter titan rushed forward from where it had been concealed in the trees.

Amy's eyes widened in terror as the titan ran towards her. She could hear the others yelling, the horses had panicked and bolted, taking their riders with them. Amy gripped the reins tightly as Piper galloped full tilt away from the titan. The horse was, thankfully, faster than the titan. The only problem was that she was running away from the forest and out into the open. Amy glanced over her shoulder, trying to see where the rest of her squad was. To her horror, she saw two three-meter class titans chasing after them. As she watched, they all disappeared into the tree line. Since her horse was faster than the titan pursuing her, Amy could simply make a wide circle back towards the forest, but there was no way she would be able to catch up with the others.

Choking back a sob, Amy turned her attention back to her horse. The poor animal was obviously frightened; Amy didn't blame her. They were alone now. She pulled the reins to the right, trying to coax the mare into turning. If she just kept running straight ahead, it would get them no where and she would tire herself out. It took longer than she'd wanted, but eventually Piper heeded the pull of the reins and began to drift to the right.

Amy was guiding her in the opposite direction from where the others had gone. She didn't doubt they could outrun the three-meter class titans chasing them, but there may have been more hidden in the dark coverage of the trees. It was already darker out than usual because of the thick clouds hanging in the sky, so it was almost impossible to see clearly through the thick foliage. She was sure that was how the titans had snuck up on them.

Amy hoped the others could make it back to the castle safely. There had been more than two titans, so they should be retreating back to inform Captain Levi. The ground trembled slightly and Amy's breath caught as Piper almost stumbled. The titan was still chasing behind her, but thanks to the horse's speed, it was further back than before. She wasn't far from the tree line now, if she could just make it inside, she could lose the titan.

Amy leaned forward, her face set with determination. She flinched as a large rain drop hit her cheek. Her hazel eyes turned skyward in time to see the rain finally falling free from the dark clouds above. It would make it more difficult for her to see, but hopefully the same was true for the titans. She couldn't be sure how good their vision was though. They still knew next to nothing about them. The distraction almost cost Amy her life yet again. She looked back to the path ahead of her just in time to see another titan emerging from the trees. Piper slammed her hooves into the soft earth, trying desperately to stop. Amy locked her legs around the horse, trying to stay in the saddle as she was flung forward.

Piper angled her body towards the left and surged forward, blind terror and instinct guiding her actions. Amy clung to the horse and ducked her body down against her neck. The titan, another seven-meter, jumped forward and swung its right arm out to try and grab her. Amy screamed as its fingers brushed against her back. The force behind it almost knocked her from the saddle. Piper put on a burst of speed then, charging forward, away from the two titans now chasing after them. Amy decided, then and there, that she would love this horse until her last breath. She vowed to go out every day to brush her, save her the best apples, anything for this beautiful animal.

The rain continued to pour from the sky; heavy raindrops beat down against them. Amy jerked the reins to the right and they darted into the trees. Piper maneuvered wonderfully, even through the blinding rain. Soon the sounds of the titans crashing through the forest behind them began to fade. Amy zigzagged through the trees, never going in a straight line. She wasn't sure how long they were running but it must have been a few hours. Piper slowed to a stop, no longer able to continue on. The poor horse's muscles were violently trembling, her sides heaving as she tried to catch her breath.

Amy felt terrible for pushing the animal so hard, but without her she would have died. She was sure of it. Amy slid from the saddle and circled to the front of the horse, speaking calmly and quietly to her. She ran her hand up and down her muzzle, trying to sooth her. "It's alright now. We lost them, girl. We're safe now." She whispered, knowing the last part was a lie. They wouldn't be safe until they made it back to the castle, and even there they weren't completely safe, just safer.

Gently, Amy started to coax Piper forward. She had to keep her moving, or her muscles would seize up. She would walk for a while, instead of riding to give her a chance to rest. Slowly, the mare started forward, stumbling a little like a foal first trying to walk. She whinnied softly in protest, but didn't fight against her. Amy took a deep breath to try and calm her own racing heart. Adrenaline was still flooded through her system, she felt wired and restless now.

They weren't walking for long before tears of frustration and fear began to trail down her face. With all the running, and with the clouds covering the sky, Amy couldn't tell what direction she was going. She had to face the fact that she was lost and alone in the woods. There had been so many titans back there, more than any of the other patrol groups had reported seeing. Amy wondered why they had been so concentrated in that area. Was there something there they had been drawn to, or had they just been wandering through?

Amy wiped the tears from her eyes, berating herself for the moment of weakness. She needed to stay alert or she would end up dead. She could cry once she was back in the privacy and safety of her room. She just needed to keep moving forward. Going back towards the marked trail wasn't an option. There was no way to tell if the titans had just wandered off, or if they were still hanging around that area.

The longer they walked, the more treacherous the ground became. The heavy rain was turning the soft forest floor into a mire. Amy and Piper had slipped on the muddy ground more than once. Not only that, but it was steadily growing darker out as the day wore on. It was still too cloudy out to see the sun, but Amy knew it was getting close to nightfall. She had been wandering out in the forest for hours, desperately hoping to come across some familiar terrain. She was close to giving into despair when she heard something.

Through the thudding hum of the rain, she could hear the faintest trace of movement. A spark of hope bloomed in her heart. Maybe it was the search party, come to find her. Amy turned and pulled herself into the saddle. She guided Piper slowly towards the sound, lightly kicking her into a trot. It was so dark, she couldn't see very far. She heard it again; the sound wasn't far off, but she couldn't tell what it was yet. It just sounded like the rustling of leaves. Piper pushed forward through a thicket into a large clearing. Amy's eyes widened and time seemed to stop as she gazed at the scene before her.


	4. Chapter 4

Sorry for the wait guys! Here's the next chapter. Enjoy!

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Levi didn't regret taking responsibility of Eren, truly he didn't. The kid was important and he believed they could use his powers to benefit mankind. That is, if he didn't kill the brat first. Levi's brow twitched in irritation as Eren continued complaining. "We've been doing these same drills all day, Captain. Can't we move on to something else? I already know hand-to-hand combat."

"Tch. Is that what you call that pitiful flailing, brat?" Levi mocked. Eren turned and glowered at the Captain, but his bravery quickly wavered as Levi stepped forward. Eren grew increasingly concerned the closer the Captain got to him. Levi stopped a few paces away. "Let's see it then, brat. Regale me with your martial brilliance."

To Eren's horror, he quickly realized that Levi intended to spar with him. He was still afraid of the shorter man after the beating he'd received in the court house. Levi was often called little, or shorty behind his back, but everyone knew he was the strongest soldier in the military. Eren had no desire at all to fight the older man. But like usual, no one was asking him what he wanted. Eren swallowed thickly and shifted into a fighting stance. Before he could blink, Levi had somehow managed to get through his defenses and put him on his ass.

He hit the ground hard enough to knock the breath out of him. Dazed and coughing, he stared up at the cloudy sky and cursed his luck. Levi had been a hero in his eyes, he still was. But getting his ass kicked by the man daily was starting to tarnish his admiration. Eren coughed as he tried to catch his breath and Levi stepped forward to loom over him. "Get up, brat." He ordered.

Eren sighed quietly as he complied. His eyes widened in surprise as the Captain corrected his stance, and gave him pointers. A small smile worked its way onto his lips as he listened. Captain Levi may be strict and merciless, but it was clear that he did care. "What the hell are you smiling at, brat? Pay attention!" Eren flinched as the Captain berated him and slapped the back of his head. Or maybe, Eren thought, he was just a grouchy man who enjoyed hitting people.

They continued to work on Eren's close combat skills until lunch time. The boy sighed with relief when the Captain released him to go eat. Levi watched him practically run to the mess hall. He'd been keeping himself busy with the kid's training all morning, but now that it was time for a break, he couldn't keep his thoughts from wandering to the patrol group. He couldn't stop himself from thinking about her. He knew it was foolish to let himself become attached to anyone again.

He felt like a damn teenager, pining after that girl like he was. He had tried to ignore her at first, treat her just like any other soldier. That hadn't lasted more than a day, to his frustration. His confliction with his own feelings are what almost made him send her away. In the end though, he hadn't been able to. Selfishly, he wanted her to stay. It had been his plan to simply watch her from afar. He had no business getting involved with her. For one thing, she was barely more than a girl. She was only fifteen and he felt disgusted with himself every time he thought of her in a less than chaste way. Secondly, he was her commanding officer and any personal relationship between them would be extremely frowned upon.

Levi sighed and rubbed his temples. He had failed miserably at his plan to stay away from her too. When he had seen her with Reiner, he had seethed with jealousy. That tall brat had been so close to her, and she was laughing and smiling at him. She was comfortable with him. Levi had immediately headed downstairs to confront them. He had known about Amy being out after dark because of the laps he had assigned her; he had overlooked it, seeing as it was his fault. But Braun had no reason to be out.

He found himself standing outside her door. He heard the bed creak as she shifted and he knocked before he lost his nerve. How ridiculous! He was the number one slayer of titans; the strongest soldier. Nothing scared him, except apparently a fifteen year old girl. He was infuriating himself with his own feelings. It was completely stupid.

The door opened, and she spoke, expecting Reiner. That pissed him off more, but his train of thought was abruptly knocked off course when she pulled the door open. His eyes trailed down her body. He could tell her breasts were unbound; he could see the faint outline of her nipples through the white undershirt. Her pants were untied, with the front barely hanging open. He could see the edge of her blue panties and his mind flashed back to the morning he'd walked into her room and found her in nothing but a pair of black panties and her gray undershirt.

Her voice broke him from his thoughts and he quickly looked back at her face. That pretty blush was spread across her cheeks again. She'd surely noticed him looking at her body. He could see that Braus was asleep, but he didn't want her to wake up and see them, so he had pulled Amy out of the room and shut the door. He had just meant to question her about Braun, but his focus was shot. Every time he looked at her, he just wanted to kiss her. It hadn't taken much for his willpower to break.

Levi cursed under his breath as the memory of kissing her caused his lower belly to clench. The sensation was both wonderful and unpleasant. He couldn't remember ever experiencing it before. He'd felt physically attracted to women before, but this was somehow different. He still wasn't sure how, though.

Levi entered the dining hall and was served a bowl of stew. More than two dozen citizens had come out to work at the castle. The food shortage in Wall Rose was still an issue and many had decided that working here was worth the risk in exchange for a place to stay and three meals a day. As if they could sense his foul mood, everyone avoided Levi. Or it could have been the death glare he gave anyone in his path. He moved to a table in the corner and sat alone.

The rest of the hall was noisy as the cadets enjoyed lunch. Eren sat at a table near the center of the room with his childhood friends and a few of the others from 104th trainees squad. They were all smiling and enjoying each others company. Damn brats, Levi thought as he watched them. Needless to say, Levi didn't really enjoy lunch. The stew tasted fine, but his mood was dark. Well, darker than usual.

It wasn't long before he was dragging Eren back out for more training. He took him into the nearest part of the forest and began testing him on his skills with the 3DMG. He had to admit, the kid wasn't half bad. But there was definitely room for improvement. Levi spent the next few hours teaching him what he could. He kept him at it, even when it finally started to rain. Eren hadn't complained once since coming back out. Levi had to admire his tenacity and determination to improve. The kid was truly something.

They headed back about an hour before dinner time. Both of them were soaked from the rain, and mud was caked to their boots. Levi scowled at the mess, but it was unavoidable. They had just reached the front entrance of the castle when one of the lookouts signaled the approach of the patrol team. Eren had only paused a moment, intent on getting in out of the rain, however, he stopped when Levi didn't continue on. The two of them stood and watched as the three riders approached rapidly.

Levi stared at the group. They were missing someone, or maybe they had simply lost one of the horses. He moved forward, not even flinching as the galloping horses were pulled to a stop only a few feet from him. The animals were clearly exhausted, as were their riders.

"What happened?" Levi demanded. He had, of course, noticed Amy's absence. How could he not? But his duty came before his personal feelings. Petra Ral, still panting, spoke up. She had been in command of the patrol group, it was her responsibility to report their findings and what had happened.

"We were about half way through the circuit when we were attacked. There were three titans, two of the smaller three-meter class, and one seven-meter class." She paused to catch her breath, and Levi felt the urge to snap at her. He held the feeling in check. It wasn't Petra's fault, he knew that. "The seven-meter attacked first. It erupted from the tree line before anyone saw it. It went after Cadet Penrose and she became separated from us. The other two emerged from the trees immediately after the first and gave chase to us. We headed into the trees. I had planned to try and take care of the smaller titans, and head back for Amy. But two more showed up. We couldn't do anything against that number except flee." Petra looked down, clearly ashamed for leaving someone behind. But those had been her orders.

"We had to ride off course several times to lose them, which is why it took so long for us to get back. I was hoping Amy would have made it back, but it would seem that was too much to hope for." Petra fell silent then, and sat waiting with the others for new orders. Levi maintained his outward calm appearance, but inside he felt like he was panicking.

"I'll get together a team and head out now to search for her. The three of you did a great job in making it back here and reporting your findings. You've earned a rest. Take your horses to the stables and head inside." Levi turned and moved into the castle without waiting for a response. He knew they would follow his orders. Eren rushed after him and when Levi looked back at him, he could tell the boy wanted to go with him on the rescue mission. That was fine. Levi would consider this hands-on training.

Most of the cadets were already enjoying their dinner by the time they arrived in the dining hall. The great room grew silent when Captain Levi stormed in. He didn't pause to explain the situation. "Mikasa Ackerman, Reiner Braun, Auruo Bossard," he called out in a commanding tone. "Front and center." The three in question didn't hesitate to stand from their seats and come forward.

Levi turned and they all followed him back out into the rain. Petra and the others could be seen in the stables helping the servants prepare fresh horses. There were five saddled horses waiting. Petra knew the number of people Levi usually had in his squad and figured he would take the same amount with him now. The other members of the Special Operations Squad were out guarding the supply caravan.

Levi explained the situation as they walked. "The patrol group returned and reported seeing at least five titans in one area. However, one member of the group failed to return. Amy Penrose was separated from the group and is still missing." Levi was too focused on the task at hand to observe their reaction to the news. However, it didn't slip past Mikasa when Reiner stopped short. He looked surprised at first, but that quickly morphed into concern and then determination. Levi pulled himself onto his horse and turned to the others as they did the same. "Our mission is to find and deal with these titans, and if we can, find Cadet Penrose."

The group nodded their understanding and Levi turned to Petra. She already seemed to know what he was going to ask, and gave him the exact location they had last seen Amy and the titans. Levi and the others quickly rode out into the growing darkness.

They stayed on the already cleared road so that they could ride full out. It would be faster even if they were circling around instead of going in a straight line. Levi knew the terrain very well, enough to navigate it at night and know where he was. He led them to a hidden game trail that veered off the main road and into the trees. It forced them to slow down, but once again it was the faster path. They rode in single file, with Levi leading them. Eren came next, followed by Auruo, then Reiner and Mikasa was covering the rear.

The trail twisted through the trees and lead them deeper into the forest. The further they went, the more tense everyone grew. They knew they were getting close to where the titans had last been seen. The line jerked to a stop when one of them blew their signal whistle. The noise wasn't particularly loud, but it was enough to get everyone's attention. Mikasa came forward, she had been the one to signal them to stop. "I saw something in the trees over there." She reported to Levi, pointing off to their left. Levi nodded and they all moved towards that direction.

It only took a few minutes to find what Mikasa had seen. The clearing they entered was visibly destroyed, even in the darkness. A few trees were uprooted and lay across the ground. There were several large footprints in the soft dirt and there were areas where it looked like the earth had been ripped up. What stood out first was the corpse of a titan hanging over one of the fallen trees. Most of it had already disappeared and the rest was still steaming.

Lying in the center of the clearing, was the broken and bloody body of a gray horse. It was obvious that the mare had been hit on the side. Her ribs were crushed in, her legs were splayed at odd angles and her neck was clearly broken as well. The bridle on the horse bore the insignia of the Survey Corps. Not too far away from the horse, strewn across the muddy ground, was a destroyed set of 3DMG. Everyone was completely silent, unwilling to accept the truth before their eyes. Amy hadn't gotten away.

They didn't get long to get over the shock. Five titans entered the clearing across from them, their mouths open wide as they charged towards the group. The horses all bucked and turned to flee. Levi shifted in his seat, his eyes filled with rage, and activated his maneuver gear. The long spiked tipped cords shot out and Levi soon followed. He whipped through the trees, ignoring the way the smaller branches cut into his skin and snagged his clothes. The rest of the squad noticed the actions of their Captain and followed suit, leaving the horses to take to the trees.

The titans, all seven-meter class, crashed through the trees. It was still so dark out, the only way the Survey team had to track them was by the amount of noise the giants were making. Reiner was just flying overhead as one of the beasts ran by. He intended to follow after it and take it down. But he was stopped by a flash of movement. He strained his eyes and could barely make out Captain Levi as he darted by. It happened so fast, Reiner almost missed it, but the titan crashed heavily to the forest floor. A large chunk was cut out of the back of its neck.

Within minutes, the five titans were taken care of. Their corpses left steaming and slowly dissolving. No one had been killed, or even seriously injured in the attack. They all gathered around Levi afterwards. If anyone noticed the hollow look in his eyes, they didn't say anything. He ordered them to find and gather up the horses. No one asked him what he would be doing in the meantime.

Slowly, Levi made his way back to the clearing. The gray mare still lay in the center, a morbid reminder of his failure. He found himself drawn towards it. This was where she had spent her last moments. He wondered what she had thought about, just before she died. Would he have crossed her mind? Levi shook himself from his musings before kneeling at the horses side. It was then he finally noticed and he swore his heart stopped. The horse's body was lying over a small indentation in the earth, and only at this angle could he see her.

Amy lay curled into a tight ball in the small recess. He was almost afraid to reach out and touch her, afraid she might still be dead. His indecision didn't last. With a trembling hand, he reached out and grasped her arm. He sighed with relief when her eyes shot open and she gave a terrified shriek. He clamped his other hand over her mouth. The last thing they needed was for more titans to show up.

The fear quickly melted from her eyes when she saw him. He helped her crawl out from under the horse and made no effort to stop her when she flung herself into his arms. Amy clung tightly to him and cried softly, her face pressed against his shoulder. Levi wrapped his arms firmly around her and held her tightly. He found himself murmuring into her ear, telling her she was safe now. That he would keep her safe.

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So, most of you have probably noticed I've rated this FanFic as Mature. Attack on Titan is a very gorey show, and I believe that in itself merits a fairly high rating, but that is not why I rated this Fic as Mature. Some time in the future Levi and Amy will most likely become intimate and there will be graphic sexual scenes. If that is something you don't wish to see, then I'm sorry but you should not continue reading this. For those of you that will continue reading, I wish to hear your opinion on the matter. There will be an opportunity for them to take the next step in their relationship in the next chapter. Do you guys think it would be too soon? Or would you like to see them further their relationship? Let me know what you guys think about it. I look forward to reading your responses. Thanks!


	5. Chapter 5

I'd like to thank everyone for the wonderful reviews. Your encouragement and praise is truly appreciated. Onwards with the story! Enjoy :)

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Safe and warm; that was how Amy felt in his arms. She couldn't stop the tears streaming down her face, though. The relief from being rescued was so intense it made her dizzy. Her entire body was trembling from the whirlwind of emotions she was feeling. She had been so sure that she was going to die. Slowly, she began to calm down. Her cries quieted and she listened to Levi's softly spoken words. She had never expected promises of safety to fall from his lips.

Levi held her until she stopped trembling. When she finally relaxed against him, he loosened his grip around her. Amy winced as she slowly pulled away from him. Her entire body ached. Levi noticed her expression and his eyes trailed over her, taking in her appearance. There was blood caked on the left side of her face, her clothes were torn and covered with a mixture of mud, grass, and blood. He was alarmed at the amount of blood on her until he realized she must have been laying in a pool of the horse's blood. Looking down, he noticed his own uniform was now just as dirty. He frowned at their filthy state, but he wasn't angry about it. He couldn't feel anything at that moment other than relief at finding her alive.

"Are you injured?" He asked her, and after the near silence from before his voice sounded strangely loud. Amy slowly shook her head. "I'm a bit bruised up, and I gashed my head open on a rock, but other than that I don't have any serious injuries." Levi nodded his head in understanding and stood up. He reached a hand out to her and pulled her to her feet. It felt good to finally stand and stretch after being cramped up for so long. Amy turned and looked down at the mutilated horse. Her heart ached as she gazed at the mare. She knew it was silly to get so attached to the animal, but people couldn't control the way they felt. The world would be a much less complicated place if they could.

She tore her eyes away and turned back to find Levi watching her. There was something different in his heavy gaze and she found herself blushing as she stared into his eyes. The moment was broken by the sound of something moving through the brush. Both of them tensed, and Levi grabbed onto his weapons. The bushes on the edge of the clearing trembled and Eren walked through, leading his horse. He stopped short when he looked up to see Amy. His expression gave away his surprise before he broke into a grin. He rushed forward, pulling the horse along with him. "Amy!" He called out excitedly. "I'm so glad you're alright."

He moved up and pulled her into a hug, surprising Amy a little. Eren had never really spoken to her before, but she felt happy that he seemed to care. Moments later, the rest of the squad filed into the clearing. Reiner's reaction was similar to Eren's, though he held her much longer. Too long, in Levi's opinion. He broke them apart by clearing his throat. He could see that Amy was uncomfortable with all the attention. Levi turned to Auruo, who had brought back both of their horses. "Let's head back quickly before more titans show up. Penrose will ride double with me." Reiner opened his mouth, about to protest, but he stopped short. His amber eyes glared at the Captain's back.

Auruo handed Levi the reins to his horse and he jumped into the saddle. His gaze turned to Amy and she immediately moved forward. He reached down and grabbed her hand to help her up. She settled behind him, her arms wrapped around his waist. Amy hoped it was too dark for anyone to see the bright blush on her face. Everyone else mounted their horses and Levi quickly took the lead again. Amy's grip tightened once they started moving and she rested her cheek against his back. She was surprised, but pleased, when his left hand covered hers. His fingers slid between her own and gave a gentle squeeze. Amy smiled against his back at the gesture. She didn't know why he was being so affectionate, but she was going to enjoy it while it lasted.

The group slowly made their way back to the main road. Everyone stayed on alert for more threats, no one wanted to be caught off guard by a roaming titan. When they emerged from the trees, the skies were beginning to clear. The rain had slowed to a misty drizzle and they could see patched of the stars. The road to the castle was a bog and they had to keep the horses off to the side on the grass. This time they didn't push the horses into a gallop. The ground was too treacherous after the rain storm. They had been in too much of a hurry earlier to care about the condition of the ground, but now that they weren't rushing to try to save one of their own they were able to be more cautious.

Amy was tired from her ordeal, but she wasn't in a hurry to get back. A soft sigh escaped her as she enjoyed the warmth from being pressed up against Levi's back. The rhythm of the horse's gait was lulling her into a relaxed state. She knew Levi would keep her safe, so she wasn't worried about being attacked. Amy watched the terrain slip by with half-lidded eyes.

It had stopped raining by the time they made it back to the castle. Sasha and Christa, who had both been assigned to guard duty that night, rushed forward to greet them. Both were relieved to see their friend smiling at them from the Captain's horse. Sasha helped Amy down with tears in her eyes and immediately pulled the shorter girl into a tight hug. Amy winced as her grip made her bruised body throb with pain, but she didn't say anything. The others dismounted and several of the castles servants came out to take the horses.

Levi turned to them all and they grew silent. "I know it's late," he said, looking at Amy, "but I'm going to need to debrief you about what happened while you were on your own. The rest of you are dismissed, you can wash up and head to bed." His gaze slid over to Sasha and Christa. "And you two need to return to your posts." The two young women saluted him and hurried away. The rest of the group, Amy and Levi included, headed towards the showers. Mikasa and Amy went into the smaller wash room so they could have some privacy from the men. An older woman, with soft brown hair pulled back into a loose bun, was already in the room readying hot bathes for them.

Once the tubs were filled with steaming water, she placed some clean towels and headed for the door. "I'll grab some clean, dry clothes for you ladies." The older woman said before leaving. The two younger women started to disrobe, eager for the hot bath that awaited them. Mikasa paused when she noticed Amy struggling to remove her jacket. "Do you need some assistance?" She asked quietly.

Amy blushed with embarrassment, but nodded. Her soaked clothes were sticking to her body and she was so sore it was hard to move. She just didn't have the energy to fight with it. Mikasa stepped next to her and gently helped her shed her clothes. Mikasa's eyes widened at the state of Amy's body. There were small bruises and abrasions on her right arm and leg, but what stuck out most were the large purplish bruises across her back. She had a few more scattered bruises and cuts, but they weren't as bad.

Once all her clothing was removed, Mikasa helped Amy into one of the tubs. She hissed as the hot water hit her cuts, but overall it felt wonderful. As she eased herself down to sit, Mikasa finished undressing and got into her own bath. "Thank you for helping me." Amy said as she reached for the bar of soap. Mikasa gave her a small smile and nodded. The two finished bathing in silence. Amy gently washed her body and hair, glad to finally be clean again. Just as she was getting ready to get out, the older woman came back with their clothes. She placed them on a chair near the door and left again without a word. Both young women climbed from the tubs and dried themselves before dressing.

They walked out to find Captain Levi standing in the hall, waiting for Amy. He was freshly cleaned and wearing a different set of clothes. It was strange to see him out of uniform. Mikasa, who still held a small grudge against the man for his treatment of Eren, walked away without a word. Levi watched her until she disappeared around the corner. He then turned his attention to Amy, who stood watching him quietly. He reached out, touching a small cut on her cheek he'd just noticed. Amy blushed at his close scrutiny and he dropped his hand back to his side. "Follow me." He ordered as he turned and headed out.

Amy trailed after him as he led her to the castle. They entered the large double doors at the entrance, but instead of turning right and heading towards Amy's room, they continued forward and climbed the stairs to the second story. Amy quickly realized that Captain Levi was most likely taking her up to his private quarters and couldn't stop her mind from wandering into dangerous territory. All she could think of was that they would be alone, in his room. The thought sent a thrill of excitement down her spine. It also made her incredibly nervous, though.

Their footsteps echoed quietly through the stone hallways and before long they had arrived. Levi opened the door and motioned for Amy to enter first. She did so, with a small blush still staining her cheeks. Levi's room was bigger than the ones downstairs. A large worn carpet was spread across the center of the floor and a double bed was pushed up against the far wall. Against the opposite wall was a large desk with various documents and maps spread across it. Next to the only window in the room was an armoire and at the foot of the bed was a small chest similar to the ones in her room. A small bedside table was pushed against the wall next to the bed. All the furniture was made of a rich dark wood. Levi closed the door and walked over to the bedside table. He lit the small lamp sitting there and the room was bathed in the soft yellow light.

Amy stood in the center of the room, feeling shy and a bit awkward. She wasn't sure what to do with herself, so she simply waited for him to tell her. Levi crossed the room and sat at the stiff looking chair at the desk. He motioned with his hand towards the bed and spoke, "Sit." His expression was back to his usual impassive mask and it left her feeling nervous. She couldn't tell what he was thinking or feeling. It made her feel like they were on uneven grounds. Amy had never really been good at hiding her emotions. Most people could figure out what she was feeling by her expressions. Levi had mastered hiding his emotions.

Taking a deep breath, and trying not to let her mind wander, Amy moved to the bed and sat down. The soft mattress sank down an inch under her weight. Amy stared at the floor, unable to look at Levi anymore. Her nerves were getting the better of her and she could feel her blush darkening. The silence stretched on and the tension in the room grew. Levi sat unmoving in the chair across from her, his steel-gray eyes gazing intently at her. Amy shifted uncomfortably; she could feel him watching her. She almost sighed with relief when he finally spoke.

"Tell me what happened after you were separated from the others." He said. The tenor of his voice was in his usual smooth monotone, but he spoke quietly, as if unwilling to disturb the silence throughout the castle. Amy took a deep calming breath before beginning her tale. She followed his example unconsciously and spoke softly; she kept her gaze on the floor.

"The titan chased me out into the open fields. I tried circling around to get back to the forest. I had almost made it to the tree line when another titan appeared. It swung at me, trying to grab me. Its fingers grazed my back but it didn't get a grip on me. I was able to ride further down before turning into the trees. Somehow, my horse managed to gallop through the trees without running into anything or tripping. I kept going until the horse couldn't continue to run anymore. By that time I had lost the titans in the trees. I knew if I didn't keep moving there was a chance they would find me again, and the horse's muscles might seize from the exertion of running for so long. So, I dismounted and walked, pulling the horse behind me."

Amy paused then, glancing up at him. He was still sitting in the same position, watching her. Part of her expected him to snap at her for dallying, but he remained quiet; patiently waiting for her to continue. At this point, she was already certain that Levi had feelings for her. What exactly those feelings were, she wasn't sure, but it was obvious that he treated her differently. At least, Amy hoped it was just her he treated this way. The thought of him with someone else made her feel nauseous. Her gazed dropped back to the floor.

She cleared her throat before continuing. "I'm not sure exactly how long I walked, but eventually I heard some movement. It was too dark to clearly see anything, but I could tell the general direction the noise had come from. I had hoped it was a rescue squad come to find me. I mounted my horse and slowly moved towards the noise. The horse pushed through a particularly thick brush and stepped into a clearing. In the clearing were five titans. They weren't moving much and they hadn't noticed me right away, so I thought about trying to go back. Unfortunately, I hadn't realized that my horse was being stalked." Amy let out a hollow laugh. "Of all the luck in the world." She mumbled, no longer seeing the room around her. She was lost in the memories from earlier that night.

"A pack of wolves had followed after us. I'm not sure for how long. They chose that moment to attack. It startled my horse, which of course ran straight into the clearing. Everything after that happened so fast, its mostly a blur. The titans suddenly sprung into action when they saw me. I barely activated my maneuver gear on time. The first one to reach me lashed out and hit my horse, killing it. It was so dark, I could barely see, but I managed to kill one of them before I was knocked from the air. I rolled across the ground before my back slammed into a tree. My maneuver gear was destroyed and I'm pretty sure that's when I gashed my head on a rock. The clearing was totally destroyed and I was sure I was about to die, but the titans had lost track of me in the dark. They were wandering around looking for me. The only place I could see to hide was under the body of my horse. I waited they weren't looking in my direction before running and crawling underneath it. I think I might have blacked out for a while because it felt like only a few minutes had passed before you found me."

Amy looked up at him again as she finished her story. That strange light was in his eyes again and she longed to understand what it was. He was silent for a long moment before he spoke again. "Show me your back." He ordered; his voice quiet but tense.

Amy's eyes widened slightly and she couldn't stop the blush spreading across her cheeks again. Hesitantly, she stood and turned so that her back was facing him. Her fingers were trembling as she reached up to undo the buttons of her shirt. The plain white shirt slowly fell open with each button she released. Once they were all undone, she took a deep breath to try and steady herself. As quickly as she could, before she lost her nerve, she shrugged out of the shirt. Letting it fall to her wrists and hang around her waist. She heard his sharp intake of breath and squeezed her eyes shut.

Amy felt ashamed. She had never been that great of a soldier. In the 104th trainees squad, she had never been able to compare to Mikasa and the others. She had tried her best, but her best wasn't good enough to make it to the top ten of the class. If only she were better, then this wouldn't have happened. Levi was seeing her weakness now; seeing how truly worthless she was. It took all her willpower not to start crying.

Amy was so absorbed in her inner torment, she hadn't heard him move. A small gasp of surprise passed her lips when she felt his fingertips on her back. His touch was so gentle, she almost couldn't feel it. His fingers trailed across her skin, tracing the mottled bruises. The soft caresses left her trembling. "Turn around." He whispered hoarsely; his warm breath fanned across her neck.

Filled with a mixture of nervous anticipation and embarrassment, Amy slowly turned in place. She somehow fought the urge to lift her hands and cover her bare chest. Her gaze settled on the cream-colored button-up shirt he was wearing and she focused on it, trying to keep herself from doing something she might regret; like fainting.

His left hand lifted and ghosted over the bruises and cuts on her right arm. When his hand reached her wrist he paused and reached forward with his right hand. Slowly, he pulled the sleeves of her shirt over her hands and it dropped to the floor. Amy's heart was hammering in her chest and her breathing was quick and shallow. His right hand came up and lightly gripped her chin. Gently, he tilted her head up until she finally met his gaze. He looked into her eyes before slowly leaning down and pressing his lips to hers.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: I realize this chapter is a bit shorter than the others, but it had to be so. I had to stop the chapter where I felt it ended best. I'm already working on the next one, so hopefully it won't be too long before I get it out.

Please remember the warning I gave about the Mature Rating. I was being quite serious about it. And with that, on with the story. Enjoy!

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Amy didn't hesitate to kiss him back this time. She slid her hands up his chest to grip his shirt and pull him closer. His hands grasped her hips, his thumbs tracing the hem of her pants. The sensation was almost ticklish, yet at the same time heightened her growing passion. Amy encircled his chest with her arms and pressed herself against him fully. Levi groaned against her lips and the sound made her belly tighten with desire.

They finally separated to catch their breath and looked at one another; gazes heavy with lust. "Levi", she whispered his name, voice filled with need. His right hand came up to grip her hair as he kissed her again, more forcefully. Amy gasped and moaned into his demanding kiss. Without warning, he slipped his tongue into her mouth, tasting her. Amy felt intoxicated by him and the sensations he was giving her. She could feel his stiff erection pressed against her. A small part of her was scared, but it was being drowned out by the thick cloud of lust fogging her mind.

Suddenly, he pulled away and placed his forehead against her shoulder. He was breathing as heavily as she was and she could feel him trembling. Confused, she was about to ask him what was wrong, but he spoke first. His voice was a strained whisper against her skin. "I want you, Amy." His soft, wet lips traced against her shoulder to her neck. "I want you… but I don't want to hurt you."

His confession made her chest grow warm; a warmth that spread throughout her whole body. He wanted her, and at that moment she didn't care about the pain it might cause. Amy gathered her courage to tell him how she felt. "…I want you, too, Levi." She whispered, her throat tight with emotion. "I want you to kiss me." She turned to trail her lips along his jaw, up to his ear. "I want you to touch me." His grip on her tightened at her words. "I want you to make love to me."

A groan escaped him as he surrendered to passion. He kissed her as he gripped her thighs and lifted her. Amy wrapped her legs around his hips, her arms moved up instinctively to encircle his neck. Levi moved forward and climbed on the bed, leaning down until she was pressed into the mattress. He braced himself above her with one hand while the other traced over her collarbone before slipping down to cover one of her breasts. Amy moaned as his rough fingers gently squeezed the soft mound. She shivered with pleasure as his hand explored her body.

Amy reached up and began to unbutton his shirt. The material fell open slowly; revealing his toned and well-defined muscles. Shyly, she traced her fingers over his skin. There were a few scattered scars; all old and faded. Levi had stilled above her, watching her as she touched him. Her face was flushed pink. Her black hair was like spilled ink, spread out beneath her head. Amy flattened her palm against his chest over his heart and felt it beating strong and fast. He pulled away suddenly and slipped his shirt off; letting it fall forgotten to the floor.

He fell over her again, pressing his lean body against hers as he kissed her. The feeling of their bare chests touching sent a rush of heat through Amy's body. She held onto him tightly as he kissed her senseless. A steady, throbbing ache was growing between her legs and she pressed her hips up against his, trying to find relief. He groaned as she rocked against him. His left hand gripped her hip, holding her still. She whimpered and shifted under him. Levi moved to her neck. His hot mouth closed over the sensitive skin and he sucked gently. His teeth grazed against her and his tongue glided across the pale curve of her throat. Amy's fingernails dug into his back, leaving small crescent indentions.

He didn't seem to mind; if anything it urged him on. He shifted down, kissing her skin until his lips closed over one of her nipples. Amy gasped at the flood of sensation. He suckled gently, teasing the tip with his teeth. Amy bit her lip to stifle the loud moan filling her throat. She was so caught up in the pleasure she failed to notice him unfastening her pants. He moved slowly to her other nipple, his tongue darting out to taste the valley between her breasts. She threaded her fingers through his hair, gripping him tightly. Her body felt like it was floating in a sea of sensations and she held onto him to anchor herself.

The hazy feeling dissipated suddenly when his hands lifted her hips and tugged down her pants. She was seized by irrational fear. All the fears one usually faced when about to lose their virginity. Maybe he had noticed her hesitation, because he slowed his movements. When he moved back to slip the pants from her legs she instinctively pressed her thighs together in an attempt to shield herself. Levi chuckled softly at her shy demeanor as he lay at her side. His warm hand caressed the skin of her stomach as he leaned down to kiss her; gentle, coaxing, his lips barely ghosted over hers.

"I will be as gentle as I can." He promised, his moist breath fanned across her lips. He was gazing into her eyes while he kissed and touched her. His words helped her to relax. That same intense heat was spreading through her body again. His slightly calloused fingers massaged her breasts, her stomach, then moved down to her hips. She trembled beneath his touch. His skilled fingers danced across the skin of her thighs, though he avoided the apex between her legs. She relaxed further, reassured by his consideration of her fears. It didn't take long before she was aching for him again.

Almost unconsciously her legs began to spread apart as she relaxed beneath his sure, firm touch. His fingers gently slid into the silky, black curls between her legs. He cupped her swollen, aching sex; gently rubbing against her. Her slick lubrication coated his fingers as he began to play with her. Amy wasn't sure what to do with herself. She could barely think past the feeling of his fingers gliding through the slit of her labia. She cried out suddenly when his fingers grazed her clit. It was so sensitive, the pleasure so intense, it was almost painful. His fingers slid away and his thumb pressed down on the hood, careful to avoid direct contact. He didn't want to overwhelm her.

His thumb massaged in firm circles as his fingers dipped down to her entrance. He pressed gently with his middle finger, slipping slowly into her scalding passage. Her muscles contracted around the intrusion, but he noted that she didn't seem uncomfortable or in any pain. Breathy moans escaped her parted lips and she panted, her heart pounding as he pleasured her. He slowly worked another finger into her and she groaned at the stretching sensation. It didn't hurt, she had just never experienced anything like it. Everything he did felt so good. Her entire body felt like it was tightening as she neared completion. Levi sped up the movement of his hand, applying more pressure with his thumb.

His mouth covered hers to swallow her cries as her muscles contracted around his fingers. Her hips lifted, pressing against his hand as she climaxed. His fingers continued their frenzied pace for a long moment, prolonging her pleasure. She collapsed into the mattress when his hand stilled. Amy felt like her heart might leap from her chest, it was beating so strongly. Her whole body tingled and she had never felt more relaxed than that moment. All the tension had gone from her body and she lay there trying to catch her breath.

Amy watched through half-lidded eyes as Levi stood from the bed. Her hazel eyes gazed at him with anticipation as his deft fingers unfastened his pants and slid them from his lean hips. It felt silly being embarrassed at that point, but Amy was. She'd seen a nude man before, on accident, but never when aroused. And Levi was certainly fully aroused. His erection was longer than she had expected and almost red with the amount of blood rushing through it. He climbed back onto the bed and settled between her thighs. Amy tried to keep herself relaxed as he pressed against her.

Levi had felt that her Maidenhead was already gone. Most girls lost it during the rigorous training they went through to become soldiers. It meant that her pain would be minimal her first time, and he was grateful for that. He pressed forward, slipping into her wet, heated passage a few inches before she tensed. Levi paused and kissed her gently, waiting for her to adjust.

Amy tried to concentrate on his kiss instead of the painful stretching between her legs. It hurt more than she'd expected, but it wasn't unbearable. After a moment, the pain faded and she felt safe to move. Tentatively, she lifted her hips; pressing up against him. He sank deeper and Amy was relieved when it didn't hurt. Levi braced himself above her on his elbows as he pushed forward. Amy watched his pleasured expression as he filled her completely. A groan escaped him and his eyes were squeezed shut. He stilled again, savoring the feeling of being fully buried in her tight passage.

Amy loved his unguarded expression. Right then, all she felt was the strange sensation of being stretched and full. It was certainly new, very different from the way his fingers had felt, but she didn't feel any pleasure from it. At least, until he started moving. He pulled back, almost slipping free, before pushing deeply into her again. A wave of pleasure surged through Amy as he thrust forward and she moaned loudly. Her fingers raked down his back; fingernails lightly scratching him. He gripped the sheets tightly and thrust into her again. His pace was slow, but each thrust was powerful and sent a jolt of pleasure through her entire body. Amy had never expected sex to be so intense.

Soon her body was tensing and trembling beneath him. She was so close, but every time she reached the edge he would pull her back. Amy almost felt like crying with frustration. She began begging and pleading, her fingers gripped his back. She could feel his powerful muscles flexing as he moved over her. Their bodies were slick with sweat and their skin slid together seamlessly. Levi picked up his pace and changed his position just slightly. That was all Amy needed, it sent her reeling over the edge into the most intense orgasm she'd ever felt. To muffle the sound of her screams she bit onto his shoulder. Levi groaned and thrust into her harder, his steady rhythm gone as he neared release. He pulled out suddenly and his hot semen shot onto her stomach. He pressed their bodies together; hips still rocking against her, kissing her heatedly as his orgasm finished.

Both of them were breathing heavily, but other than that the room was suddenly very quiet. Levi rolled off of her and reached for the bedside table. He pulled open the drawer and retrieved a hand towel. Amy watched as he used it to gently clean her and then himself. When he finished he carelessly tossed it to the floor. If Amy wasn't suddenly feeling so shy again, she might had said something. She knew he liked things to be clean, so it struck her as odd that he was just throwing everything on the floor. She almost giggled at the image of him getting up and cleaning the room in all his nude glory.

Levi noticed her smile when he turned back to her. She looked happy and it made his chest swell with emotion. And he wasn't good at dealing with emotions, so he didn't say anything about it. He was good with actions, not words. So he simply pulled her close and held her against him, careful to avoid the bruises on her back. She sighed contentedly and relaxed in his arms. Amy wasn't sure if Levi felt anything for her beyond lust, but at that moment she was sure that she had fallen in love with him.

She was thoroughly exhausted from the day's events and their lovemaking. Her eyelids drooped and a yawn escaped her. Levi was gently running his fingers through her hair and it was putting her to sleep. Reluctantly, she pulled away to look up at him. "Um," she started, her voice quiet. "Should I-". Levi cut her off, pressing a quick kiss to her lips. "You'll sleep here." He said, back to his usual commanding self. He shifted and started to tug the covers down. Amy moved with him and he pulled the covers over them. She watched as he turned back to the bedside table and turned the lamp off. The room was bathed in darkness and Levi settled next to her, relaxing into the soft pillows at the head of his bed. It didn't take long for the two to drift to sleep.


	7. Chapter 7

I'm sorry about the delay of this chapter. I had a bit of writer's block. Anyways, enjoy!

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The sunlight glaring through the window is what pulled Amy from her dreams. With a soft groan, she rolled over and pulled the covers tighter around her. Her eyes snapped open as she registered that she was naked and the sun was already up. Alarmed she sat up in the bed, clutching the covers to her chest. The memories of the previous night flashed through her mind as she looked around Levi's room. A heated blush spread across her cheeks and her lower belly clenched. Levi was already up and had left.

Amy wasn't sure if she should feel upset or relieved at the fact. Her next thought was wondering if she was in trouble for oversleeping. At the foot of the bed was fresh clothing, neatly folded and waiting for her. Amy turned her attention to the open window as a breeze ruffled the curtains. Her heart leapt as she noticed a letter folded on the bedside table. Her name was written across the top in Levi's messy scrawl. She scooted to the edge of the bed and picked it up, unfolding it to read the note he'd left for her.

Amy,  
I'm giving you the next few days off from your usual duties to recover from yesterday's events. You need to relax and let your body heal. This is an order. No strenuous activity for the day.

Levi

The note was short and to the point; just like her Captain, she thought with a giggle. Her heart warmed at his consideration; leaving a note for her and basically forcing her to take a mini vacation. She lay back against the pillows with the paper pressed over her heart, a silly love-struck grin on her face. She couldn't believe how intense her feelings were. It felt like she was floating on clouds, she was so happy.

Quite suddenly, the door to the room opened and Amy sat up, startled. Petra Ral stood in the open doorway. The other woman had frozen upon seeing her in the bed and Amy quickly used the covers to shield her bare chest. Amy was blushing terribly and felt the need to somehow explain her presence, but no words escaped her parted lips. Petra stared in shock another moment before abruptly leaving, shutting the door quietly. Amy hadn't missed the hurt expression on Petra's face as she left.

Amy scrambled from the bed, almost falling to the floor from the sudden strong ache between her legs, and quickly started to get dressed. Her mind was racing. What if Petra told someone? Was she going to confront Levi? Would she tell Commander Erwin? The last thing Amy wanted was for Levi to get in trouble. There was a complete lack of underwear with the clothes provided, but Amy didn't have the mind to care at that point. Once she was dressed she tucked the folded note into her pocket and hastily straightened the bed. Everything was in place when she quietly opened the door and slipped into the hallway.

She was relieved to see that the hall was empty. The last thing she needed at that point was someone else seeing her coming out of the Captain's room. Immediately she headed down stairs, intending to either find Petra and talk to her, or find Levi and warn him. She had no idea where either would be, so it was just a matter of chance at this point.

Amy tried to keep her pace sedate, so as not to alarm anyone. Inside though, her heart was pounding and she felt like panicking. As she rounded a corner she quickly sidestepped to avoid running into someone. The other person's surprised face turned delighted. Reiner smiled down at her and pulled her into a hug. "Where have you been? We came by your room this morning to check on you when you didn't show up for breakfast, but Sasha said you weren't there."

Amy lightly returned his hug while trying frantically to think of something to say. She obviously couldn't tell him she spent the night with Captain Levi. "Oh, uh… Captain Levi put me in a room upstairs and told me to take time off to recover. I ended up sleeping most of the morning. I'm sorry I worried everyone." She said pulling away. Reiner gave a gentle smile and nodded.

"I can understand why he gave you time off. You had a rough time out there." He stated, then he frowned slightly and asked, "But why did he put you upstairs instead of your own room?" Amy gave a nervous chuckle and fiddled with the hem of her shirt. She was anxious to move on and find Petra or Levi. "Um, I think he didn't want me to be disturbed while I was resting." She explained, giving a small shrug. "Speaking of Captain Levi, have you seen him today?" She chanced asking, hoping he might be able to point her in the right direction.

Reiner raised one thin, blonde brow in question, but didn't ask whatever was on his mind. "Well, he was there at breakfast, but I'm pretty sure I saw him and a small squad heading out today. I think Commander Erwin might have sent them out on a mission." He answered.

Amy had mixed feelings about what he told her. On the one hand, she was relieved that he was out. That meant that Petra wouldn't be able to confront him directly. On the other hand, that meant that Petra might just go straight to Commander Erwin. Amy gave Reiner a thankful smile, trying to keep her conflicting emotions off her face. By the questioning look he was giving her, she was failing at it. Amy opened her mouth, about to thank him for telling her, but was abruptly cut off.

Before she could react, Reiner had wrapped her in his arms again and was kissing her. Amy let out a startled squeak, muffled against his lips. His left arm was wrapped firmly around her waist, holding her against him. His right hand was cradling her head, keeping her from pulling away. But even with the demanding way he was holding her, his kiss was gentle, almost shy. His lips were soft and warm, but his kiss didn't ignite her body the way Levi's did. After a few seconds he pulled away. Amy stared up at him, too stunned to say anything, with a blush on her cheeks.

Slowly, he let her go and stepped back. "Look," he spoke quietly, "I've really liked you for a while. I just… wasn't brave enough to say anything. Yesterday when Petra and the others returned without you, I was scared, but I was determined to come find you and save you. When we saw your horse in that clearing everyone thought we were too late, it was the worst feeling." His expression was pained when he talked about that, then it shifted slightly. "But Captain Levi found you and I felt so relieved when I saw you were okay." He took a deep breath and paused; seeming to collect his thoughts. "I can tell by the way you look at him, that you're in love with him."

He smiled at her surprised and panicked expression. "Don't worry," he continued. "I'm not going to say anything about it to anyone. I just wanted you to know how I feel and to tell you that I won't give up. If you ever need anything at all Amy, just tell me and I'll do everything in my power to help."

"Reiner…" Amy started, a small frown on her face. She didn't want to lead him on. Amy liked Reiner a lot as a person and as a friend, but her feelings for Levi were something she didn't think would ever change. Reiner stopped her though, placing a finger gently against her lips. "You don't have to say anything, Amy. I understand you don't feel that way for me, but that doesn't change my feelings for you."

Amy couldn't say anything to that. He was right. She was in the same kind of situation. She loved Levi, but she didn't know if Levi loved her back. And even if he didn't, that wouldn't make her feelings change. Amy gave him a sad smile and nodded in understanding. "I have to go," he said with a sheepish grin. "I'm supposed to be helping Armin check the maneuver gear for any problems and refilling the tanks." Amy nodded once again and moved aside to let him pass. She watched with a heavy heart as he walked away. Her life just seemed to keep getting more and more complicated and she didn't know what to do.

Taking a deep breath, Amy continued on. She still wanted to try and find Petra, but she wasn't sure what to say to her when she did. The older woman had looked so hurt by her presence in Levi's room and Amy didn't understand why. Unless… Petra was in love with Captain Levi too. It didn't seem to farfetched to Amy. Petra had known Levi for a while now and was a member of his Special Operations Squad. She got to be around him and work with him more than Amy could ever hope to. When Amy thought about it, she couldn't help feeling a little jealous. Levi had personally picked Petra to be a part of his team. What if the two had some sort of romantic history together? Amy was horrified at the thought.

For the next few hours, Amy wandered in search of Petra, but the woman was not to be found. Amy encountered many of her friends who had been worried about her absence. She had to reassure them that she was doing fine and had time off to recover. Some seemed surprised that Captain Levi, who was usually so strict and heartless, had let her have any time off at all. Amy asked a some of them if they had seen Petra anywhere, but no one had seen her recently. Most said they had seen her at breakfast and after that they were generally too busy to keep up with everyone.

Finally, Amy conceded defeat. She had searched everywhere she could think of, with no success. Not to mention, she hadn't eaten anything in so long, her stomach felt like it was going to disappear in the most painful way possible. She hadn't eaten anything since breakfast the day before and it was already past lunch time. In the woods, she'd been to preoccupied to eat and she hadn't gotten the chance to when she returned.

A nice older gentleman with a kind smile made her something to eat. He chatted with her, telling her that it was his pleasure to cook. He had always wanted to be a chef, but never had enough money to start his own restaurant. He made her a chicken, rice and vegetable stir fry; which Amy thought was too much trouble to go through for one person, but she wasn't going to complain.

Amy sat alone at one of the tables with her plate and a cup of water. She made sure to pace herself as she ate, trying not to upset her stomach. Her eyes widened at the taste. It was incredibly delicious. Now she understood why that man wanted to become a chef. He was very talented. Amy felt they should all be grateful that he was here cooking for them. She was about halfway through her plate when someone sat across from her. Amy glanced up and almost choked on her rice. Petra Ral was sitting across the table calmly looking at her.

Amy cleared her throat nervously and set down her fork. She fidgeted in her seat, waiting for the other woman to say something. It was a tense and awkward silence. Eventually Petra spoke and although her words were quiet, they filled Amy with anxiety. "You slept with him, didn't you?" She questioned, though to Amy it sounded more like an accusation. And she didn't need to ask to know that Petra was asking if she'd had sex with him.

Amy glanced around the room nervously, afraid of their conversation being overheard. Luckily, no one was around. A part of Amy felt like what had happened between her and Levi was completely private and she shouldn't have to explain herself to Petra. At the same time, she was afraid that if she didn't explain then the other woman might misunderstand the situation. Amy couldn't tell what Petra was thinking. Her expression was guarded, which was disturbing considering Petra was usually such an open person.

"I did." Amy answered, her voice kept quiet. She watched Petra for any kind of reaction, even though it made her feel even more uncomfortable. The frown on her face deepened a little, but other than that Petra didn't react at all. Another moment passed in silence while Petra seemed to be gathering her thoughts. "Why?" She finally asked, her honey colored eyes narrowing.

Amy couldn't stop the blush that stained her cheeks, even in this awkward and serious situation. It would be the first time she'd admitted her feelings out loud. "Because I-" It was a lot harder to say out loud than she thought it would be. Taking a determined breath, she looked into Petra's eyes. "Because I'm in love with him."

The other woman's eyes widened and she looked genuinely surprised. That clearly wasn't the answer she had expected. It was then that it dawned on Amy exactly what Petra had probably been thinking; that she was sleeping with Levi to get special treatment. The thought shouldn't surprise her so much, it was what most people would probably assume if they found out, but that didn't make it hurt any less. An uncomfortable silence settled around them again. Petra seemed to shrink into herself, all her self-righteous indignation gone. Amy caught a glimpse of sadness in her eyes again.

"I don't know how Captain Levi feels about me, if anything at all." Amy continued, needing her to understand. "But I do know how I feel about him. No one makes me feel the way he does." She gave Petra a sad smile, "Even if he tells me he doesn't love me back, my feelings won't change."

Petra gave a short nod and stood up. "I won't say anything to anyone. But if I find out you're using him, there will be consequences." She warned. Amy swallowed nervously and nodded back. She watched as Petra disappeared out of the dining hall. Amy sighed in relief. At least she knew that Petra wasn't going to say anything now. With a soft sigh, she picked up her fork and slowly continued her meal.

Now the only thing she had to really worry about was Reiner. He had made his feelings for her exceedingly clear and she wasn't sure what to do about it. He had already pointed out that talking about it wouldn't change his feelings. Amy was still surprised he had kissed her like that in the middle of the hallway. She hadn't thought about it then, she'd been too worried about finding Petra, but what if someone had seen them? Amy stopped short, fork half way to her mouth. What if Levi found out? Her heart constricted at the thought. Would he be angry, upset? Would he care at all?

Amy placed her fork down and pushed the plate away; appetite suddenly gone. Becoming intimate with Levi had made things so much more complicated, but she couldn't bring herself to regret it. In fact, she hoped it happened more often. The thought was accompanied by another blush. Amy gathered her dishes and returned to the kitchen. She emptied the leftovers and washed them before putting everything away. Amy returned to her room and lay on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. She was at a loss for what to do now. She had orders to do nothing strenuous and to take the day off. But that left her with nothing to do at all. Amy chuckled quietly to herself. Having time off wasn't all it was cracked up to be.

Resigned to a completely boring afternoon, Amy rolled to her side and reached for the drawer of the bedside table. There was an old, worn book she had brought that she could read. She had read it multiple times already, but it was better than nothing. The tips of her fingers had just grazed the handle when the alarms outside were suddenly sounded. Amy sat up with a jolt and rushed to the door. Heart pounding, she ran to see what was going on. A few others joined her and they burst out the front door. In the distance, they could see a titan towering over the tops of the trees. It had to be at least fourteen meters tall. It was slowly walking in the direction of the castle.

Amy jumped as another titan burst from the trees much closer. It looked to only be about nine meters tall, but it was moving at incredible speeds. Cries rose up from the guards, shouts of aberrant. Someone using maneuver gear darted by, so quickly Amy almost didn't see it. The aberrant titan collapsed to the ground, a large gouge of skin missing from its neck.

Amy watched, enthralled, as Levi landed not to far away from the steaming corpse, blood still dripping from his blades. It was clear he was taking control of the situation and she could see him pointing in the direction of the bigger titan and issuing orders. Those around him saluted and immediately began moving out. Levi was clearly in his element here and it showed. For a moment, his steely gaze turned and settled on her. A shiver of excitement trailed down her spine and desire pooled in her belly. Amy blushed and swore she saw a smirk on Levi's lips before he turned and headed out with the others to confront the titan.

Amy shook her head as she watched him walk away. All that man had to do was look at her and she melted. She was glad he was back. Things might have turned out differently if he hadn't shown up to kill that aberrant. They were much harder to kill because of their erratic behavior and they probably would have lost a few people. Because of the sudden adrenaline rush, Amy was feeling restless. There was no way she could just to lay in her room and read now. Amy made her way up to one of the guard towers and climbed the stairs. Jason Rickman stood at the top, his dark brown eyes watching the titan in the distance. Jason was from the 103rd trainees squad and had been here only a little longer than Amy.

He only gave her a brief glance before turning his attention back to the fight. Together they watched tiny figures swirling through the air around the titan and eventually it came crashing down. Once the battle was over, Jason turned his attention to Amy. "Did you need anything, or are you just bored?" He asked with a grin.

Amy smiled back. Jason was always pretty laid back, unless they were in a dangerous situation. He was completely serious when lives were on the line. "Bored." She answered, shrugging her shoulders. "I've been ordered to rest for a few days, so I can't do anything." Jason gave an exaggerated sigh. "Lucky." He muttered. Amy giggled at him and turned to watch those returning from the fight. Her eyes automatically sought out Levi. He looked unharmed and his expression was the same as usual. Amy smiled, happy that he was okay. Her smile faded when she looked over and saw that not everyone had escaped uninjured. One soldier was being held up between two others and it looked like their leg was broken. It didn't look like anyone Amy was personally friends with, but she still felt bad for them.

Amy turned back to Jason to see him watching their surroundings again. "You mind if I stay up here?" She asked quietly. Jason shook his head, his short brown hair following the movement. "Two pairs of eyes is better than one. If you want to stay and help out I'm not going to complain." He answered. Amy gave him a grateful smile and turned to watch for more titans.


	8. Chapter 8

Enjoy :)

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Amy woke up at the usual time the next day. Even if she had time off from her duties, it wouldn't do to get completely off her sleeping schedule. The sun was just peeking over the horizon when she shut off the alarm and sat up. Sasha groggily rubbed her eyes as she sat up too and the two girls stretched almost simultaneously. They both let out a short chuckle of amusement at their similar waking habits.

Amy stood from her bed, almost groaning at how sore her body still was. She felt stiff and stretching could only help so much. She decided then to get a little exercise later that day. Both girls were almost finished dressing in their uniforms when Sasha broke the silence. "I didn't get to see you yesterday. You weren't here when I came in from guard duty in the morning. I was so tired, I went straight to bed but I was worried since you were still out. Were you still with Captain Levi?" She asked.

"No," Amy lied. "Captain Levi put me in a room upstairs to rest after debriefing me. I guess he didn't want people to disturb me." Sasha took on a thoughtful look. After a moment she sidled up next to Amy and nudged her with her elbow. "Oh," she said, a sly smirk on her face. "He must really have a soft spot for you then." Amy blushed at the teasing tone and the implication of what she said.

"W-what?" Amy stuttered, laughing nervously. "Of course he doesn't… Why would you think that?" Sasha laughed and patted Amy on the back, completely oblivious to the other girl's anxious behavior and the small wince at her bruises being hit. "Well, Geoffrey broke his leg yesterday fighting that titan and he didn't get a special room upstairs." Sasha explained like it was the most obvious thing in the world. Amy's eyes widened at how easy it had been for her to figure out. Amy liked Sasha a great deal, but everyone knew that deductive skills weren't her strong point. If she could figure that out so easily, then how hard would it be for others to do the same?

That's just great, Amy thought, head dropping in defeat. At least it didn't seem like Sasha cared. If anything, it looked like she was just amused by it. Amy gave a resigned sigh and smiled at Sasha before sitting to pull her boots on. "I wonder what they're serving for breakfast." Amy said out loud, knowing the subject change would slip by Sasha because it was about food. Amy laughed as the other girl's eyes lit up and she finished getting ready more quickly. "One way to find out." Sasha said grinning. "Let's hurry to the mess hall!"

Sasha pulled Amy up as soon as she was finished tying her boots and dragged her out the door. Amy's laughter filled the hallway and she linked arms with her friend as they walked. It felt so nice to laugh so freely. After everything that had happened the past two days, Amy had been feeling very stressed out. Just being able to laugh and enjoy her easy friendship with Sasha was a beautiful thing.

Soon the two girls made it to the mess hall and settled down for breakfast; which consisted of buttered toast, sliced ham and scrambled eggs. The level of noise steadily rose as everyone sat and started up conversations. Amy sat with her friends and enjoyed the light conversation and company. It was an unspoken rule that they didn't discuss the titans or any other heavy subject first thing in the morning, unless it was completely necessary. There was no sense in starting the day on a depressing note.

Amy tried hard not to, but she couldn't stop herself from glancing over at Levi. She tried to be very discreet about it, but she was sure at least Reiner had noticed. But like he had promised, he didn't say anything about it. Amy's heart jumped when she looked up to see him gazing back at her. A blush spread across her cheeks and he smirked at her. Quickly she looked away before anyone could notice.

After breakfast Amy headed to the room that had been designated as the class room. Only about twenty people could fit in the room at a time, so they rotated days to allow everyone a chance to sit in and learn about the formation they would be using when they ventured out of the wall. The formation seemed pretty simple. They would spread out as far as line of sight allowed and then use smoke signals to communicate. They simply needed to memorize what each color smoke symbolized and memorize the arrangement of the formation itself. They were also given information on what would be the best thing to do in emergency situations. Of course, all that was hypothetical as each situation would most likely be different.

Amy did her best to pay attention and remember everything the instructors said. It could mean the difference between life and death, not only for herself but any one else in the squad she would be assigned to. No one bothered taking notes. You couldn't exactly stop to read while fighting titans. Most of the battles depended on instincts. All the speed and strength one had would be meaningless if you didn't have the instincts to use it. The lecture lasted two hours and Amy was feeling restless by the time it ended.

She couldn't join the others in the drill exercises yet, so she went out to jog. She just needed some way to get out all the pent up energy in her body. Soft, puffy white clouds floated slowly across the blue sky. A gentle breeze rustled the leaves of the trees and made the grass sway in a slow dance. It was another beautiful day and Amy felt grateful that she was still alive to see it. All around her, members of the Survey Corps went about their busy day. Some were talking and laughing among themselves, while others were trapped in their own silent retrospect, their faces pensive.

So far they'd been fairly lucky. No one had died yet after coming out to the castle and the worst injury was from yesterday, when that young man broke his leg. Amy thought about her own injuries. Most of the smaller bruises had already faded and her cuts were almost healed. The gash on her temple itched like crazy sometimes, but that was normal. After her bath last night, she had checked the bruises across her back with a small mirror. It had been exceedingly difficult to get it at the right angle and she'd only been able to see a small area. The bruises were still dark but the outer portion was starting to turn yellow. It meant they were healing but it would be a while before they faded completely.

Amy jogged for a few hours, stopping to give herself just enough time to bathe before lunch. Her hair was still damp when she settled at the table with her food. Lunch followed the same routine as breakfast with everyone enjoying the meal and each others' company. As Amy sat there listening to the amiable conversations, she realized how surreal it all seemed to her. She had been so sure the other day that her life was over. That she would never get to enjoy the friendships she had. Never laugh at Sasha and Connie's silly antics. Never fall in love.

Her eyes trailed over to Levi and she smiled, despite the fact that he wasn't looking at her. It looked like he was scolding Eren for spilling his tea, his brow narrowed and his lips pulled into a frown. Poor Eren looked contrite under the verbal lashing. Levi pointed to the kitchen and Eren scurried away, presumably to get the Captain another cup of tea. Levi turned back to his food, looking overly annoyed. He glanced up and his eyes landed on Amy. His features softened, the frown lines disappeared from his face. His attention was pulled away when Petra starting speaking with him.

Amy continued watching, past the point of caring if someone noticed her. If they asked, she could just say she was watching their table, not anyone in specific. Petra was smiling pleasantly at Levi as she spoke and he responded, the same bored expression he usually wore on his face. That didn't necessarily mean he wasn't interested in the conversation though. Amy felt jealous, but not just of Petra, she realized. Everyone in the Special Operations Squad could sit with Levi and talk to him whenever they wanted. Amy wished she could do the same.

Amy's eyes trailed back down to her half-finished plate. Her previous smile had disappeared and she now wore a small frown. It seemed so unfair to her, that she couldn't be with Levi the way she wanted to. She realized that she didn't know the rules about relationships between soldiers. And it wasn't like she could just ask anyone about it. They would want to know why she was asking. Amy could lie, of course, but she was a pretty terrible liar. The only person she could really talk to about it was Levi himself. Her face flushed as she thought about how embarrassing that conversation could turn out. There was every possibility that Captain Levi didn't actually want to have a relationship with her at all.

How foolish would she seem asking him about it then? If he was truly only interested in sex, how would he react to her seeking a relationship? She shuttered at the thought. Captain Levi could be incredibly harsh with words when he wanted to. She realized she was terrified to ask for more than he was willing to give. He had showed her such a gentle side of himself the night she'd been rescued. It was wonderful and she'd loved every moment. It wasn't something she had ever expected from him though. It hit her then, how very little she truly knew about Levi.

Her hazel eyes sought him out again and she watched him quietly. The hum of conversation still filled the room, but it was just indistinct background noise to her at that point. Everything seemed to blur around her except for Levi, who she was so focused on. His image seemed to sharpen until he was the only thing she could see. He was sitting stiffly in his chair, one leg crossed over the other as he spoke with his squad mates. His left arm was thrown across the back corner of his chair, and although it made it look like he was relaxed, she could tell he wasn't. There was an underlying tension throughout his body that most people probably wouldn't notice.

A faint crease beneath his eyes hinted that he might be tired. She wondered how much sleep he got at night. He usually stayed up late planning and studying the maps, and she knew he woke up early in the morning. Another thing she knew, through her own observations and Eren, was that he liked himself and his surroundings to be clean. Amy didn't know anything else about him though. But she wanted to.

Her feelings hadn't changed. She still felt that she was in love with him, and she admitted to herself that she wanted more. She wanted to get to know him, wanted to be in a relationship with him. She wanted him to love her back. Amy resolved herself to go and speak with him once everyone was in bed. He may turn her down, reject her feelings, but she would never forgive herself if she didn't try. Satisfied with the conclusion of her thoughts, Amy finished her meal and turned her attention towards what she wanted to say to him. Her thoughts circled around for a while on the topics she wanted to bring up, but in the end she knew that all her planning would be for nothing. Conversations rarely went as planned, especially when feelings were involved.

Soon lunch ended and everyone got back to work, leaving Amy wondering what to do with herself. She was going to drive herself crazy not being able to do anything, and it had only been a day and a half. If she couldn't join the others outside for 3DMG training, then she would go to the weight room and do some weight training to build muscle. She knew one of her weaknesses was her physical strength. Amy stopped by her room to grab a change of clothes before heading to the weight room. For the next few hours, she went through several different muscle building and toning exercises. By the end of it, she was tired, sore and covered in a layer of sweat.

Amy showered before changing into her clean clothes and heading to her room. She still had a while before it was dinner time and decided to relax after her workout. Time seemed to move slower than usual as she lay in her bed reading. Every now and then she would glance over at the clock to see if it was time for dinner yet. All she wanted was for the day to end so she could go see Levi, but perception of time slowed when you were anticipating something. Groaning with frustration, Amy decided to try and take a nap. Setting the alarm to wake her ten minutes before dinner, she closed her eyes and slowly drifted off into a light sleep.

When Amy woke up, it wasn't to the sound of the alarm clock going off, but to someone lightly knocking on the door. Feeling a bit disoriented from just waking, Amy stumbled to the door and opened it. Standing out in the hall was… no one. Amy blinked, confused, and leaned out to look up and down the hallway. Not a soul was in sight and she couldn't hear anything that might hint at someone running away. It wouldn't be the first time someone had played a prank of this nature, but no one had done so since graduating from the trainee camp.

Amy went to close the door but stopped short. A folded note was pinned to the old wood. Glancing around one last time, Amy reached up and pulled the note free. She quietly closed the door and moved to sit on her bed. There was no name on the note identifying who had left it or who it was intended for. Hoping it wasn't something private meant for Sasha, she unfolded the note. Her eyes widened as she took in the short message.

-I know your secrets Amy-

The neatly written words sent a jolt of fear through her system. She didn't recognize the handwriting. Amy wasn't sure why they left this note, what their motive was, but it couldn't be anything good. Carefully, she folded the note and put it in her pocket. She would show it to Levi and hope he recognized the handwriting or at least could compare it to the soldiers' files. Amy jumped when the alarm clock suddenly rang out. She had forgotten all about it. She shut it off before pulling on her boots and heading to dinner. As she walked through the crowded dining hall her eyes darted to each person's face, wondering if they could be the one that had left the note.

The situation left her feeling paranoid. Despite her nervous behavior, dinner proceeded as usual and no one seemed to notice how tense she was. Amy returned to her room with Sasha and they both got ready for bed. Sasha yawned loudly before falling onto her pillows. Within a few minutes, she was lightly snoring and, not for the first time, Amy was grateful that the girl could fall asleep so quickly and easily.

Amy slipped from the bed and pulled her pants back on. She had already decided not to put on her boots, the hard heels would be too noisy when she walked. Amy settled down to wait for a while before heading up. She didn't want to be caught wandering the halls and get in trouble. Amy waited an hour, which felt like several, before getting up and quietly slipping out. The hallway was dark and everything was quiet. A shiver of excitement shot through her as she moved through the hallways and climbed the stairs. She had never snuck out before and she couldn't deny the thrill. Her heart was pumping steadily in her chest, the thrum ringing in her ears.

Amy was glad to see the faint glow of lamp light pouring out from under Levi's door. That meant he was probably still awake and she wouldn't be disturbing him too much. She paused outside his door, fist raised to knock, and froze. From inside, she could hear the faint murmur of voices. Quickly, she lowered her hand and stepped back. Before she could turn and leave, however, the door opened. Levi was holding the door open and his attention was focused on Petra, who stood across from him. The other woman was staring back at him, a hurt look on her face. Her attention was drawn to Amy and a surprised look flashed across her features before she frowned again.

Noticing Petra's sudden distraction, Levi turned to look into the hallway. Amy's breath caught as his steely gaze landed on her. His eyes widened a bit before he schooled his features into his usual bored expression. He turned back to Petra and sighed. "It's late, Petra. We'll finish this conversation tomorrow." He said, his tone dismissive. Amy stood awkwardly in the hall as Petra left the room and walked away. She gazed at Levi as the other woman's footsteps faded away. He looked tired and irritated. She was about to apologize for interrupting and suggest that she could talk to him later. Before the words could form he was motioning for her to enter.

Amy timidly entered and he shut the door behind her, sliding the lock into place. She took a deep breath and turned, ready to break the tense silence of the room. Once again she didn't get the chance. As she turned, Levi pulled her into his embrace. His arms tightened around her and he rested his chin on her shoulder. Another sigh escaped him as he held her. Amy stood in silence, surprised at the sudden behavior. Her surprise didn't keep her from enjoying being wrapped in his arms. She slid her arms around him and held him back. They stood there for a long moment, simply enjoying each others silent comfort. Eventually Levi pulled back to look her in the eye. "I already know that Petra is aware of what happened between us, if that's what you came up here for." He spoke quietly.

Amy slowly shook her head and Levi raised a brow at her in question. "I, uh," she cleared her throat, "I found this pinned to my door." She replied, pulling the note from her pocket. She took a step back as he took it from her and opened it. His eyes narrowed as he read the single sentence on it. "I don't recognize the handwriting and I didn't see who left it." She added. He gave a short nod. "I'll keep it then. I'll see if I can figure out who left it." He walked over and placed in one of his desk drawers. "I wouldn't worry too much about it, though. I've already spoken to Commander Erwin. As long as we aren't on the same squad, he has no problem with our private relationship."

Butterflies danced in her belly at his words, particularly the word "relationship". Amy cleared her throat nervously again. Shyly, she asked what was on her mind. "And what exactly is our relationship?" Her heart sped up as he slowly approached her. He stopped just short of touching her, though his gaze was glaring off to the side. "Tch, it sounds ridiculous to call you my girlfriend." He mumbled and Amy swore she could see the faintest traces of a blush on his cheeks. It faded as he turned to look at her. He leaned close, brushing a light kiss across her parted lips as he wrapped his arms around her again. Her body tingled as he traced his lips and nose over her cheek to her ear. A shiver of desire swept through her when he suddenly nibbled on her earlobe. She could feel the smirk on his lips, knew he was smug about the way he affected her. His husky voice broke her from her sudden daze. "You're mine now."


	9. Chapter 9

His possessive demeanor sent a wave of heat through her body and she almost moaned. An embarrassed blush spread across her cheeks at her reaction. Sometimes the power he had over her frightened her. He could make her feel so many emotions with just a few words, or a single look. Amy felt that, maybe, the reason her reactions scared her was because they were so new. No other man had affected her like this. She felt like she didn't know her own body sometimes. She felt like she had no control over herself. That lack of control is what made it frightening.

His arms tightened around her and she sighed softly as he pressed gentle kisses up and down her neck. Just as she was starting to want more, he pulled away. Her disappointment must have shown on her face because he chuckled lightly when he looked at her. Amy's eyes widened in surprise. She had never heard him laugh before. The small smile he wore morphed into a smirk, but Amy didn't care. For just a moment, she got to see him truly smile. She grinned up at him, eyes shinning and a pink blush on her cheeks. Levi chuckled again before leaning forward and capturing her lips in a passionate kiss. He pulled her close and held her steady as her legs turned to jelly.

An intense heat unfurled low in her belly as his lips moved against hers, his tongue slipped into her mouth and she moaned. Levi reluctantly pulled away and sighed. "It's late and as much as I want you right now, it would be best if we went to sleep." He said quietly. Amy resisted the urge to pout and nodded. "Good night, then." She said as she stepped away, turning towards the door to go back to her room.

Before she could open the door, he had reached out to grasp her wrist. "I want you to stay here tonight." Amy turned back to him with a shy smile. She held his hand as he guided her back towards the bed. A cool breeze was flowing through his open window but it was still warm. Amy wanted to strip down to her panties and tank top like she usually did for bed, but she was feeling uncertain about it. Levi dropped her hand as he reached up and began to unbutton his shirt. She watched with bashful fascination as his toned chest was slowly revealed. A part of her still didn't understand how such a powerful, handsome man could be interested in her. She simply couldn't fathom it.

A bright, red blush bloomed across her face as he unabashedly took off his pants. Amy turned away, still too shy to openly look at his nude form. The next time she discreetly snuck a peek he had pulled on a loose pair of shorts. Taking a deep breath, Amy reached up and began unbuttoning her own shirt. She pulled it off and laid it across the chair at his desk. Still feeling uncertain, her fingers hesitated at the hem of her pants. She blinked as he turned the lamp off, drowning the room in sudden darkness. The springs of the mattress creaked lightly as he sat down on the bed. Amy felt much less self-conscious in the dark and quickly unfastened her pants. She lay them with her shirt before moving to join him on the bed.

Her eyes quickly adjusted to the dark and she could make out his silhouette still sitting on the edge of the bed. He reached out to her as she drew near and pulled her to straddle his lap. She smiled as he kissed her again. One arm wrapped around her waist, holding her steady, while his other hand rested on her hip. She blushed and gasped as he reached around to firmly grasp her backside. She followed as he leaned back to lay on the bed, placing her hands down on the soft mattress to hold her weight. She hovered over him as his hands slowly roamed across her exposed skin. It felt so nice, she didn't want him to stop, but she couldn't help mentioning his previous words. "I thought you said we needed to go to sleep."

Even in the dark she could see the smirk that lifted his lips. "I changed my mind." He whispered before pulling her down for another kiss. Amy trembled with anticipation when he grabbed her hips and pushed her down against his growing erection. She couldn't lie and say she hadn't thought about making love to him again. His hand slid up her stomach, pushing her tank top up as he went. Taking the hint, Amy sat up and lifted her arms, allowing him to pull it off. Levi pushed himself up, his left hand holding his weight against the bed while the other wrapped around her waist. He pressed warm kisses across her chest as she ran her fingers through his hair. She moaned in pleasure as his hot mouth covered her right nipple.

Each time he sucked the sensitive flesh a jolt of pleasure would race straight to her groin. He continued to lavish attention on her right breast until she was a quivering mess. Then he moved to the left and repeated the process. Amy had one hand grasping his shoulder for support, while the other tangled in his hair. She wanted to rock against him, anything to relieve the building pressure between her legs, but his right arm held her firmly still. He bit down lightly on her nipple and Amy cried out at the unexpected orgasm that ripped through her. She never knew that a person could have an orgasm without even being touched down there.

Levi pulled back and gazed up at her as she slowly calmed down. She could barely make out the smug grin on his face by the moonlight shining through the curtains. "You're so sensitive, Amy." He whispered, his voice husky. He leaned forward to capture her lips in a kiss as she blushed. "Stand up." He ordered, grabbing her arms to help keep her steady. Amy carefully slid from his lap to stand before him and he reached out to grab the hem of her panties. She grasped his shoulders as he slid them down her legs and let them fall to the floor. Amy still felt embarrassed being naked in front of him, but not nearly as much as the first time.

He leaned forward, pressing lingering kisses to her stomach as his fingers slipped between her thighs. She honestly felt a bit embarrassed by how wet she was there, but Levi didn't seem to mind and she quickly forgot her discomfort as his nimble fingers slipped between the slick folds. She parted her legs to give him more room and a low moan escaped her as he dipped two fingers into her heated passage. His fingers slowly massaged in and out of her while the heel of his hand pressed against her clit. Amy quivered in pleasure from his touch. While his right hand continued its slow torture between her legs, the left was massaging slow circles on her hip then slowly working down her thigh. His lips continued pressing hot, open-mouthed kisses to the sensitive skin of her stomach. Every now and then his tongue would slip out to taste her warm skin.

The continuous stimulation was driving her crazy. Amy whimpered and moaned desperately as he slowly brought her to the edge of another orgasm. Once again he kept her there, denying her. His fingers slipped away and, just as she was about to protest, his left hand grasped her leg behind the knee and lifted. A mortified blush spread fast across her cheeks as he slipped to kneel on the floor before her, settling her leg over his shoulder. The position left her exposed with his face eye level with her crotch. She wanted to pull away and close her legs. It was much too embarrassing to have him see her like that, but she couldn't get the words out. She watched, horrified, as he leaned forward and buried his nose in her soft curls. She tightly gripped his hair, ready to pull his head away, but any thoughts of that shattered when his tongue slid across her clit.

Amy leaned her head back and bit her lip, trying to keep in the cries of pleasure as he laved her dripping core with his tongue. It didn't take long for her to come undone. His hands held her firmly and he continued lick and suck at her as her body trembled. He let her leg slip from his shoulder and then stood before pushing the shorts from his hips. He reached out and pulled her to him, kissing her heatedly as he pressed their nude bodies together. Amy kissed him back, eager to continue. She could taste herself on his lips, and though she'd never admit it, she liked it a lot. Levi stepped back and sat on the bed again, pulling her onto his lap again. Amy straddled his hips and placed her hands against his chest. She could feel his stiff erection pinned beneath her wet core.

She was glad the lamp was off this time. Being on top was completely different and she couldn't help feeling self-conscious about it. She wasn't sure what exactly she should do. Luckily, it seemed Levi was more than willing to guide her. His warm hands grasped her hips and lifted her. He adjusted so that the tip of his erection pressed against her opening and pushed. She was already soaked from her previous orgasms and he slipped in easily. Amy moaned loudly as he deeply thrusted into her. She felt the same stretching sensation but there was no pain this time around; only an intense pleasure as he filled her.

Levi moaned hoarsely when she shifted and her muscles clenched around him. Amy sat up completely on him, her nails raked down his muscled chest and stomach. She heard him moan again from the scratching sensation and it sent a thrill through her. The simple fact that she could cause him to lose his well-kept composure was a powerful feeling. The new angle made him slip deeper and it felt so incredibly good. Amy widened her legs and moaned as her clit rubbed against the taunt skin over his pelvis. She lifted her hips slowly before dropping back down. They both moaned in pleasure from the action. Over and over she repeated the motion.

Amy continued to ride him; faster and harder, no longer caring about her embarrassment. Levi gripped her hips tightly and thrust up into her hard. The room was filled with the sounds of their joining; her soft cries, his deep, throaty groans, the wet slap of their bodies. His right hand slipped down and his thumb rubbed rough circles on her clit. The touch immediately had her writhing in pleasure as another orgasm crashed through her. Her whole body tensed and her muscles pulsed around him as he continued to thrust up into her. Amy cried his name out as he prolonged the overwhelming pleasure she was feeling. Suddenly, he lifted her completely and he slipped free. She watched with fascination as his hot seed shot out onto his chest and stomach. He lowered her back down and closed his eyes. Both of them were panting heavily.

Amy gazed down at him in the faint moonlight. She watched his sweat slicked chest rise and fall with his breathing. The moonlight reflected softly off the sweat and trails of semen on his body. Overcome by curiosity, Amy leaned down and shyly licked his chest to taste him. It was very salty with a mildly bitter after taste, but it wasn't unpleasant. Beneath her, Levi groaned with his eyes squeezed closed. "…If you keep doing that I'm going to fuck you again." Amy sat up, surprised and a little aroused by his harsh statement, and blushed. After another moment, she slipped off him and they both cleaned themselves before climbing into bed. Neither bothered putting their clothes back on.

Amy lay curled in his arms and listened as his breathing slowed. She could tell the moment he fell asleep because the lingering tension faded away. His body relaxed fully and the faint frown lines disappeared from his mouth. She was happy that he felt comfortable enough with her to fall asleep so easily. Amy placed a soft kiss on his chest before pressing her ear there. She listened to the steady rhythm of his beating heart and it slowly lulled her to sleep.

* * *

The sound of someone screaming and an explosion ripped Amy from the comforting void of sleep. Levi bolted up next to her and she got a brief glimpse of his nudity as he flew from the bed. He was already fastening his pants as she stumbled from the bed. "Stay here!" He ordered before running out the door, his form-fitted pants the only thing he was wearing. Amy quickly threw on her clothes, almost falling as she tried to force her legs into her pants. Another scream rent the air and Amy ran to the open window to look out.

The faint light of predawn was just beginning to brighten the sky. From her vantage point, the only thing Amy could see was a trail of thick, black smoke billowing into the sky. Shouts could be heard from outside, but she couldn't make out the words. Making up her mind, Amy turned and ran for the door. She knew Levi would be furious with her for not listening, but it just didn't feel right to sit there in safety while her friends could be in danger.

Her bare feet pounded against the floor as she ran downstairs. Just as she neared the front doors, Armin burst through, coming inside. They both jolted to a stop to avoid running into each other. He was haphazardly dressed with the buttons on his shirt crooked and no shoes on either. "What's going on? What happened?" Amy asked quickly. Armin motioned for her to follow. "I'll explain on the way." He hurried forward and Amy trailed behind him, wondering if she should have just gone out to see for herself. Before she could decide to turn away, Armin spoke up. "Apparently we were attacked by a group of bandits."

Amy's eyes widened and she could detect the tone of disbelief in his voice. That meant that there were people living out in titan territory. It was, understandably, hard to believe. "They broke in and stole a bunch of supplies and horses. It seems they accidentally set off one of the cannons, which was the cause of the explosion. They came in during the guard exchange so they were able to slip through without being spotted."

Amy's thoughts swirled around the information. She wanted to ask more but they arrived at the strategy room. It was where the higher ranking officers planned out the details for the expeditions. Amy had never been inside the room, but Armin walked in and moved around like he knew the place. He moved over to one of the tables and began rolling up and gathering maps. Amy stepped forward to help him, taking them as he finished rolling them. He gave her a grateful smile.

"Commander Erwin and Captain Levi asked for the maps." He explained as they headed back out. "I think they're going to try to find out where these bandits are headed." They both ran back towards the outer courtyard. "Wait," Amy started before asking. "You mean they got away?" She was clearly surprised by the information. She could concede that the bandits got the drop on them, but they were still just civilians. The soldiers of the Scouting Corps should have easily been able to deal with it.

Armin seemed to agree with her unspoken logic. "Unfortunately, yes. It doesn't make any sense. I wasn't outside when it happened, but it all still seems very suspicious to me. They were very well organized to pull this off." The two made it to the doors and pushed them open. Though they couldn't see it through the trees, the sun was rising past the horizon and it was brighter outside. The courtyard was filled with soldiers in various states of undress. Amy immediately spotted Levi standing next to Commander Erwin.

The Commander was completely dressed in his uniform and looked every bit the leader he was. Although Levi was only dressed in a pair of pants, he exuded the same intimidating aura as usual. It may have even been stronger, as his finely toned muscles were bared for all to see. Faint, white scars could be seen on his pale skin and they only served to enhance the image. The two were conversing quietly as she and Armin approached, though they fell silent once they spotted them. Amy shivered as Levi's piercing glare landed on her but she didn't shy away.

Amy noticed Commander Erwin watching her and Levi intently. Try as she might, she couldn't stop the blush that bloomed on her cheeks. Erwin smiled pleasantly at her before taking one of the maps from her arms. Together, she and Armin had gathered five maps. The two stood silently as Erwin opened the one he had taken and together with Levi began studying it. As they pointed to different areas on the map, Amy turned her attention towards the other people in the courtyard. Several were helping to clear away debris from the storehouse, others were helping saddles horses, and more still were gathering 3DMG and setting them out for use.

It was clear they meant to pursue the bandits. Amy wondered who would be placed on the squad sent out. Fifteen horses had been saddled for riding, and five others had been loaded with supplies. They were all tethered to posts, waiting for use. It looked like they weren't sure how long it would take to find them. It was good to be prepared, just in case they had to stay out for a few days. Amy was pulled from her musing when Commander Erwin walked back over. Her hazel eyes flicked briefly to Levi and she blanched at the furious expression on his face as he looked at Erwin. She didn't get the chance to wonder why he was so angry.

"Penrose," Erwin called, stopping in front of her. "Please go find Sasha Braus and return here with her. I want both of you to be fully dressed in your uniforms and outfitted with your maneuver gear." Amy nodded and handed the remaining maps she held to Armin. A nervous anticipation spread through her as she searched for her roommate. Luckily, she wasn't hard to find. Sasha was helping them catalog the missing supplies. Or at least, she was trying to help. When Amy arrived, one of the higher ranking officers was scolding her for moving things that had already been documented. His attention turned to Amy as she walked up.

"What is it now?" He snapped angrily, running his hand through his dark blonde hair in frustration. Amy straightened and saluted the Lieutenant. "Commander Erwin sent me to collect Sasha Braus, sir!" He gave an irritated sigh before waving his hand. "Fine, that's just fine. Take her from here before I lose it." Without waiting for a response, he turned and walked away.

Sasha turned to Amy and gave her a sheepish smile. "Thanks, I guess I messed up again." Amy shook her head at her friend before smiling fondly at her. "No problem, but I really was sent over by Commander Erwin. He said to get you and get into uniform with our maneuver gear, then report back to him." Sasha sent a nervous look towards the Commander and nodded. The two girls rushed back to their room and quickly changed into their uniforms. Once back outside, they headed towards where the 3DMG were being organized. Connie and Jean greeted them when they arrived.

After a short explanation, the girls donned their gear and hurried back to Commander Erwin. Armin was still standing nervously behind him, rolled up maps in his arms, but Levi was nowhere to be seen. Erwin turned to them as they came to a stop next to him. "Ah, there you are. Good, the sooner we get this underway the better." He stated. "From what I've read in your files, you're a skilled tracker, aren't you Braus?" Sasha gave a quick nod of her head. Amy remembered Sasha telling her a little about the village she was from. It wasn't something she normally talked about. From the way she usually avoided it, and refused to speak her village dialect, it was clear that Sasha was ashamed of her simple upbringing.

"You and Penrose will be part of the squad I'm sending out to retrieve our stolen supplies and horses. I want you to use your tracking skills to help find them. From the information I've been given, we know the bandits rode out of here on horseback, and were able to hitch a small wagon to one of the horses they stole. It should leave a fairly easy to follow trail." He explained to them with a calm expression. "I've asked Captain Levi to finish rounding up the rest of the squad I've chosen. Lieutenant Harrison will be leading the squad. Do your best to find those supplies. Now go wait by the saddled horses for the rest of the squad to gather." He dismissed them before turning to Armin.

Amy heard him telling Armin that he would be part of the squad sent out as they walked away. She didn't get to hear the rest of the conversation as their voices faded the further away they got. Amy and Sasha stopped next to the horses to wait. Amy glanced at her friend with concern. She looked so nervous about being responsible for tracking the bandits. It looked like she might be sick. When she glance up again, her she noticed Levi gather people and sending them their way. Amy realized he must have gone inside earlier because he was now fully dressed in his usual uniform.

Armin was the first to join them by the horses and the only other person from their old trainee squad to join them was Jean. The rest of the squad was all older members that had been there longer, including Jason. He smiled at her as he walked up. "First time we'll be going out on a mission together." He commented as he stopped next to her. Amy smiled back and nodded. He threw an arm over her shoulders casually and patted her on the head. "No worries. I'll keep an eye on you." He chuckled at the indignant look on her face.

A small smile worked its way onto her face before she also started laughing. While she might have acted annoyed, she was truly grateful he was willing to look out for her. Soon everyone was gathered and Lieutenant Harrison was addressing them. "Let's try and get this over with quickly. We'll catch up to those bandits and teach them why they shouldn't have messed with the Recon Corps!" Everyone saluted to him and a chorus of "Yes, sir!" rang out. They all untied the horses and climbed into the saddle. Looking up, Amy saw Levi leaning against the side of the stables, his arms crossed over his chest and a grim expression on his face as he watched them. Their eyes caught and Amy stared back at him, unable to tell what he might be thinking. She didn't look away until the Lieutenant gave the signal to move out.


	10. Chapter 10

It was just past noon when the group of twenty stopped to rest. Everyone was using the short break to eat their lunch while they had the opportunity. The group was quiet and on edge. At the moment, they were stopped in a large field. It gave them a clear view of their surroundings for about a mile around. Even still, they were wary of titans. Sasha had been at the front all day, carefully tracking the bandits' movement. At first, she had been nervous about having so much responsibility, but over time she seemed to calm down and truly focus on her task. Amy had to admit, she was impressed. Sasha had been able to keep up with the tracks, even at a fast pace and hadn't led them astray once.

As Amy finished the last of her lunch, she gazed around at everyone, pausing on each of her friends. Each of them was grim-faced and focused on the mission, but at least they were still alive. Amy hoped that they stayed that way and that they all made it back to the base safely. She knew, deep down, that it was a foolish hope. The world was a cruel place. None of them would likely survive in it long.

Amy pushed the depressing thoughts to the back of her mind. It would do her no good to dwell on them now. They would only serve to distract her from the mission. As her thoughts turned back to the bandits they were pursuing, she couldn't help wondering about them. What was it that had driven them to leave the safety of the Walls and risk living in titan territory? It could have been the food shortage, but Amy felt that people would truly rather starve to death than be devoured by a titan. No matter how much she thought about it, she just couldn't conceive a reason for it. Titans were the most terrifying thing in the world. Humanities number one enemy. No reason she could think of seemed good enough.

Amy flinched when the Lieutenant's voice cut through the silence. "Alright. Break time is over. We need to keep moving. Mount up and move out." He ordered firmly. Everyone shuffled to their feet and pulled themselves into their saddles. Amy watched as Sasha moved to the front of the formation and wished her friend good luck. Sasha moved out into the lead and the rest followed after her. Steadily, the group was moving towards the mountains that were silhouetted on the horizon.

The tracks were moving unerringly in that direction. It seemed that either by pure luck, or some other miracle, the bandits hadn't encountered any titans on their path. The squad hadn't seen any evidence of a titan attack on the route so far. But it seemed they weren't going to be so lucky. Almost directly ahead, the group could see a titan lumbering around. It was tall, at least a fourteen meter class, with shaggy brown hair. Amy wondered how they were going to deal with it. They were on flat plains, which was the worst for using the maneuver gear, but it was the easiest terrain for the horses to run on. If the titan wasn't an aberrant, they should be able to simply out run it on the horses.

The Lieutenant signaled to circle around it. It seemed they were going to try and avoid it. Amy followed the rest of the group as they turned towards the left. The titan was facing the other way and hadn't seemed to notice them yet. They were almost past it when it finally turned and noticed them. A grotesque grin spread on its face as it started to chase them. Luckily, they made it past and soon the titan was trailing further and further back. It couldn't keep up with the speed of the horses and Amy sighed with relief as they left it far behind, a dark figure in the distance.

For hours they rode on with only the sound of the horses' hooves pounding against the earth. The sun was burning in the sky above, making it unbearably hot. There was no wind out, not even a slight breeze. Amy felt a trickle of sweat trail down between her shoulder blades. Being in full uniform out in the heat was taking its toll. She could tell everyone was starting to get tired. They had pushed the horses all day and she could tell they were nearing their limits. Dark sweat had gathered on their flanks and they were lathering at the bits in their mouths.

Ahead the mountains loomed dark and tall. Amy stared at them in wonder. She had never seen mountains so close before. The closer they got, the more trees there seemed to be until they were riding into a thickly forested area. They had to slow down the horses but there was still a fairly clear trail through the trees. It seemed to continue in an almost straight line towards the side of the mountain. It almost looked like an old, overgrown dirt road. Amy looked around at the terrain with apprehension. There were many place where titans could be lurking, unseen.

Her eyes trailed to a large boulder ahead to the right of the trail. It was huge and she wondered if it had rolled down from the mountain long ago. It was covered in a thick layer of green moss. The front of the line was just riding past it. Amy's eyes widened in horror as a large hand reached out from behind it and grabbed someone right off their horse. The person, a girl with brown hair, screamed and struggled against the titan's grip. Time seemed suspended for a moment as the group watched her blood spray through the air, her body bit clean in half by the titan's teeth.

The titan had been sitting on the other side of the boulder, leaning against it. Lieutenant Harrison shouted orders as it stood, using the boulder to push itself up. "There's only one! Use the trees and take it down!" His voice rang out around them. Before he even finished his sentence more titans came bursting through the trees. They were cut off from behind, and with titans on either side. It left them with only the option of going forward, towards the unknown, or fighting them.

Some of them were still heeding the Lieutenants orders and had already used their maneuver gear to dart through the trees. The Lieutenant yelled a crazed battle cry before activating his gear and flying through the air. "NO!" Amy heard someone yell out, she turned and saw Jean. "There are too many of them! We should retreat!" He was yelling as he tried to hold his horse steady. "Lieutenant, please it's too mu-" He stopped short, his expression horrified. Amy turned back and quickly realized why. One of the titans and reached out and grabbed Harrison by his leg as he flew by. He was going to die, and by the look on his face, he knew it too.

"EVERYONE RETREAT!" Harrison yelled as loud as he could. But it was too late for those that had chosen to fight. Amy watched as they each died, either eaten while still alive, or killed before being devoured. Those still on their horses kicked them into a run and headed further down the trail. Amy turned and looked behind them, watching as several of the titans split off and followed after them. A scream ahead of them pulled her attention back. One by one, the horses were falling to the ground. The pained, terrified screams of the horses mixed with theirs. Amy tumbled to the ground and rolled, trying to avoid being trampled. As the people shakily climbed to their feet, they could see the cause of the accident. Large, metal hunting traps had been laid out on the trail. The steel teeth traps had snapped closed over the horses legs, breaking them.

Amy, still a bit dazed from the fall, climbed unsteadily to her feet. The bruises on her back still weren't fully healed and they throbbed with renewed pain. "Amy look out!" Jason screamed next to her, she turned just in time to see the titan's fingers close around her body. It lifted her, its grip painfully tight, and opened its mouth wide. Amy stared at it in stunned silence. Pure terror coursed through her veins as the huge mouth grew closer and closer.

It jerked forward a bit and Amy saw the blood splash from its neck. Its grip loosened and she fell free. She watched as Jason skidded to a stop not to far away and ran towards her as she hit the ground. The titan's body shook the ground as it landed heavily next to her. Jason grabbed her arm and hauled her to her feet. "Come on!" He said as he began to run, dragging her with him. They dodged through the trees on foot, running towards the mountain still. Soon the trees thinned and Amy could see a black hole in the mountain side. She quickly realized it was a cave opening. They ran towards it, desperate for some kind of safety. They could hear the loud, thudding steps of a titan chasing behind them.

The darkness of the cave surrounded them as they ran inside. Their harsh, panting breaths and footsteps echoed around them. Amy turned and almost screamed but the movement she saw was just Jean and two others she didn't know running in behind them. Her heart thundered in her chest as a titan's face loomed before the opening of the cave, blocking out the sunlight. It reached in, trying to grab at them, but thankfully it couldn't. They cave looked like it went further back, but it was so dark the only thing they could see was a deep, inky blackness. At the cavern opening, the titan continued clawing at the floor and walls, trying to get to them.

Amy sank down to her knees and stared. Silent tears of grief trailed down her cheeks. Was this all that was left of them? Were they the only ones who got away? She couldn't help wondering. Lieutenant Harrison was dead, and so many others. What about Sasha, or Armin? Had they gotten away, or were they dead now too? Jason knelt next to her and slipped his arm around her shoulders. He pulled her against his chest and held her as she cried. After a moment, Amy wiped her tears away. She turned to Jason and gave him a small smile. "Thank you, for saving my life earlier and, you know, for everything." She told him quietly.

He smiled gently back and patted her on the head again. "I did say I'd look after you, didn't I?" He replied. Their smiles didn't last long in the face of the tragedy of their comrades deaths. Amy looked over at Jean and the others that had made it. She didn't really know the other two. She'd seen them around, but she didn't know their names. There was a tall girl with pale, blonde hair and green eyes and a boy with black hair and blue eyes. They both looked shaken up and were leaning against the wall not too far away. Jean was sitting with his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands.

"What are we going to do now?" Amy asked, raising her voice to be heard over the noise of the titan clawing at the entrance. Her question wasn't really directed at anyone in particular, but she was looking at Jean. He lifted his head at her question and looked back at her. He was the only one present that had been in the same trainee squad. She knew him best out of everyone and she knew he had the potential to be a leader. He looked around, glancing first at everyone's faces and then to the entrance of the cave. Then his eyes trailed to the back of the cave, where it was too dark to see anything. When no one else spoke up, he sighed and answered her.

"The way I see it, we have two options. We can wait for that titan to lose interest in us and then sneak out, or we can try to see how far this cave goes. Both options have obvious dangers. If we leave the cave, then we expose ourselves to the titans. And if we try to explore the cave we could end up falling in a pit or something, since we don't have any light to see by." As he finished his explanation, he ran his fingers through his hair and sighed.

The other boy stepped up. "I think we should wait until nightfall. That titan will probably wander off by then and we can sneak out and head back. I'm sure some of the horses survived. Maybe we can find them and use them to get back." The blonde girl shook her head, looking frightened.

"I'm not going back out there." She said firmly. "There were so many titans and we were helpless against them with a squad of twenty. There are only five of us now. We wouldn't stand a chance." Nervously, she glanced over her shoulder and stared at the titan at the entrance. It had stopped clawing at them and was now laying there, just staring in at them with wide eyes. It was almost more unnerving.

The boy frowned at her. "Don't be stupid Marie. We don't have any supplies here. We can't just stay in this cave forever." Marie just continued looking back at the titan, fear in her eyes. "Listen to me!" He yelled, grabbing her arms and shaking her.

"Hey!" Jason called, standing and walking over to them. "Knock it off, Shaun. She's just scared, we all are, but we need to figure out what to do." Shaun glared at Jason, but let go of Marie and stepped away. He crossed his arms and leaned back against the cave wall. "Well, what are we going to do then?" He demanded, staring at Jason.

Jason shook his head, looking lost. Jean finally stood as well and cleared his throat. "I don't want to leave anyone behind, and honestly I agree with Marie on this, it's too dangerous to try and make it back to the castle at this point." Shaun shook his head, looking pissed, but before he could say anything Jean continued. "I think we should wait for a chance to go out and gather some wood. We can try to make some torches and explore the rest of the cave. If we're lucky it will lead out somewhere else and we can escape."

No one said anything to contradict his plan, so they all became silent and settled down to wait for the titan to leave. Jason moved over and sat back down next to Amy. They leaned against the cave wall and Amy winced. Her back was hurting quite a bit, but she stayed quiet and didn't say anything about it.

Marie stared at the titan the entire time, while the others tried to ignore it. Though, every time it shifted they would all turn to look at it. Several times it started up again, trying to claw its way to them. Some parts of the cave walls crumbled as it dug and it made them all nervous. That was when it finally happened, the titan scraped its fingers across the cave roof and it collapsed in, making the ground shake as the dirt and rocks rained down. Everyone scrambled away and covered their heads, trying to avoid the falling debris.

Total darkness surrounded them as the dust began to settle. Amy coughed and covered her mouth and nose with her sleeve. She could feel grains of dirt in her mouth, nose and eyes. Tears welled up and she let them flow down her face freely, trying to wash the dirt from her stinging eyes. Eventually, the stinging faded away and she could breathe again. Even with her eyes up open wide, she could see nothing, though she could still hear the others moving around and coughing. Jean's voice rang out, loud in the pitch black cave. "Is everyone alright?"

Everyone called back that they were fine. Jason's voice sounded like he was right next to her and Amy reached out to try and find him. Her fingertips brushed against cloth and she sighed with relief. Having someone there to be able to tangibly hold on to was reassuring in the dark. Her arm was grabbed roughly and suddenly twisted behind her back. She gave out a startled cry from the pain and a light flared to life. Everyone blinked at the bright glare and stared in shock at what they saw. From deeper within the cave, several people had snuck up on them. A few were holding flashlights and Amy could feel the cold barrel of a gun pointed at her head.

"No one move or I'll blow her brains out." The one holding her said in a gruff voice. Amy stared back at her squad mates with fear in her eyes. These had to be the bandits they were looking for. The other men in the group came forward and began removing their maneuver gear. Once they had them off, they snapped shackles on their wrists. Another man came up to Amy and removed her's while the man behind her held the gun steadily to her head. She shivered with disgust as his hands lingered in places they didn't need to as he pulled the straps free.

The heavy, cold weight of shackles settled on her wrists and she was shoved over to the rest of her team. "Come on." They man said, pointing the gun in their direction. The men standing behind them pushed them forward and they were lead deeper into the cave. More men had gathered up their maneuver gear and were carrying it back. Amy wondered where they were being taken, and what would happen to them once they got there.

* * *

Sorry for the long wait guys. I've been super busy.


End file.
